Roseate Devils
by you're beautiful
Summary: What if Zaraki Kenpachi found two, pink-haired girls on that day? "Kenpachi-niisan!" "Damn it, Sakura! Don't call me that! You're making me sound like a damn wuss!" Of course, chaos increases.
1. And The Story Begins

'What a complete waste of my time,' A man with shoulder-length, black hair and green eyes thought in disappointment, before sitting himself down on the base of a tree. He stared around at his surroundings, glaring at the weak men he just killed in less than a minute.

This man had no name; no reason. He was just a nameless barbarian who walked around the dangerous districts of the Rukongai, challenging many who had the guts to accept it. Unfortunately, they were not enough at all. They did not quench his thirst for blood, or his desire to fight. They were not time-worthy, which angered the man greatly. He sighed, before leaning his back against the tree.

All of the sudden, he heard the sounds of soft giggles from not very far. He grabbed his sword and stabbed the ground with it. He placed his hand on the hilt, before examining the area. He sees nothing, in exception of the men he slaughtered, but he _hears_ something. Out of nowhere, a young girl, who physically looked around three, had pink-hair and pink eyes, crawled over to him. She wore a simple purple kimono with a red obi wrapped around her petite waist.

She was strangely not fazed by the violence she has just witnessed, as she merely gave a high-pitched giggle, that annoyed the unnamed man. She reached for his sword, and touched it, her small hands suddenly soaked with blood. She looked at the red substance with curiosity, before giggling again.

The dark-haired man's grip on the hilt of his sword, realizing this girl was left all alone in such a hazardous area. He bent forward and asked, "Kid... what is your name?" After receiving no reply from the girl, except for a tilt of her head indicating she was confused as hell, he nodded in understanding, and leaned back on the blood-soaked tree. He looked down on her, while she blinked back at him owlishly, "You don't have one?"

Again, she did not reply. She just continued to stare at him with a look of confusion. After a few minutes, the man sighed and said, "Neither do I."

He stood up, and pulled his sword out of the dirt. He began scribbling a kanji character on the ground, before he nodded and looked at the girl. "Yachiru," he announced, looking at the kanji he wrote on the ground, "the name of the only person I cared about... I'll give it to you." He paused, before deciding on a name he will take, "I'll be Kenpachi. The title given to the strongest shinigami in every generation. From this day forward, it will be my name."

The pink-haired girl stared at the kanji, before she repeated her new, given name, "Ya... chi... ru." She blinked, before smiling. The two shared a quiet moment, until they heard moans coming from the west foliage.

Kenpachi whipped his head at the direction, while Yachiru continued to look at his bloody sword admirably. "Yachiru," He muttered, walking towards the sound, "come here. Stay close to me." Yachiru did as told, and walked near him. She grabbed on his tattered pant leg, before they walked through the bloody foliage.

The two looked around frantically, before they spotted a girl with the same pink hair that Yachiru had. She was lying on her back, unconscious. She was breathing fast. It seemed the girl was having a horrible nightmare of some sort. But, that doesn't mean Kenpachi was going to drop his guard. He whispered to Yachiru to stay behind him, before he made his way towards the trashing pink-haired teen. She was wearing a red kimono with a ragged, green obi tied loosely around her waist. He kneeled down beside her, before shaking her.

She suddenly opened her eyes to show big emerald-eyes. She shrieked seeing Kenpachi's face, before instinctively clenching her hand into a fist, and punching him square in the face. He grunted in pain, before reaching for his bleeding nose. The young woman crawled a few yards away from the intimidating man, until her back hit a tree.

They stared at each other for a few seconds – Kenpachi glaring at her, while the girl with emerald-green orbs tittered, a nervous smile on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't utter a word.

He scowled. That girl packed quite a punch. It hurt like _hell_. And pain was something that Kenpachi barely feels, especially from a mere punch! He was about to scare the girl into saying 'sorry', until she beat him to it.

"I-I'm so sorry!" He looked at her to see her on both feet, shaking noticeably, while her whole body was bent in a bow.

He raised an eyebrow, before he chuckled, mildly amused by the girl. He stood up from where he was once sitting on and clutching his nose in pain, and shook his head. "You're quite an interesting brat now, aren't you? Do you have a name?"

The roseate straightened up, before biting her lip. She closed her head, before shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry, but I do not. I don't even remember how I got in this—" She looked around, her eyes widening when she noticed all the blood, "—... place."

Kenpachi nodded, before he informed the girl of where she currently was, "You are in the Kusajishi district. One of the most dangerous area of the Rukon District. It's the 79th actually. The most dangerous amongst them all is the 80th, Zaraki district."

The teenager nodded slowly. "I see," She trailed off, before she questioned, "May I ask what your name is?"

"Kenpachi," was his simple reply. He suddenly examined the girl, narrowing his eyes. "If you _don't _mind, little girl, I'd like to give you a name."

The girl replied reluctantly, "A n-name?" The man nodded. It seemed like he wasn't giving her a choice, because of the glint in his green eyes. She gulped audibly, before she conceded, nodding her approval, "Well then... since I am in need of a name... sure."

"Sakura will be your name, alright little girl?" The guy said, wearing a shit-eating grin.

The young woman's emerald-orbs suddenly widened, and she grabbed her throbbing head. Her sight began to fade, until all she could see was a blurry image of a blond-haired man with an idiotically big grin, similar to Kenpachi's. She clutched onto her head tightly, hearing the boy calling out to... her?

_'Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan! Let's go to Ichiraku's! I hear old man Teuchi is giving discount for a congratulatory to your promotion to jōnin!' _His voice was distant... echoing in her mind. He seemed so close... yet so far away. Beside him stood a man with a pale complexion, and short black hair. He was wearing a naval shirt and regular pants.

_'Come on, ugly.' _He said, almost looking as if he was forcing himself to smile.

All of the sudden her vision turned into nothing but darkness. She looked around frantically, until she saw a man with chicken-butt hairstyle, wearing a blue shirt with a long collar, and white khaki shorts. All he said was a mere, _'Thank you.'_ Yet, somehow... to her, it felt painful to hear.

Her vision returned to normal, and she saw Kenpachi. She heard giggles emitting from behind him and she leaned forward to see a cute roseate girl like herself. She smiled weakly, "Hey, there. What's your name?"

The girl squeaked slowly, "My... n-name? Ya... chi... ru."

Sakura nodded. "So, Yachiru is your name! That's a beautiful name you got there! Who gave it to you?"

Kenpachi answered for her, "I did, you pink-haired bafoon—" Another shit-eating grin was on his face, "—and yeah, her name is nice."

Sakura laughed mockingly. "You have a dry sense of humor, Kenpachi-san," she said looking serious.

Kenpachi just gave her a blank look, before he replied sarcastically, "Thank you." They looked at each other for a few minutes, before they began laughing their ass off. "Kid, stop calling me Kenpachi-san. It's annoying."

The girl shrugged. "Alright, then... Kenpachi-_niisan_!" She drawled out teasingly, fighting the urge to giggle at the look on Kenpachi's face. It was absolutely _priceless_!

"Damn it, Sakura! Don't call me that! You're making me sound like a damn wuss!" Sakura stuck her tongue out. Kenpachi shook his head, before he smiled toothily, "I like ya, kid. You've got spunk. You can come with Yachiru and I."

Sakura smiled gratefully, before she interrogated, "Where are we heading?"

Kenpachi gave a simple answer, "Sereitei."

* * *

_Five years later..._

"You stupid idiots! You two seriously have the _worst_ sense of direction ever! That man clearly told us that Sereitei was directly ahead of us! He even told us that we would get there much quicker if we took that route! But, what the hell did you two do? You turned _left_! LEFT! The direction we came from! I swear you two can be such a migraine sometimes!" Sakura hollered after her adoptive siblings.

Kenpachi rolled his eyes, before rubbing his temples. "Believe me, Sakura. The feeling is mutual. If I would have known that you were a rambling, nonstop pink-haired monster back then, five years ago, I wouldn't have invited you to come along with Yachiru and I!"

Sakura snorted, before she forced herself to run faster. She grabbed Yachiru, who was perched on Kenpachi back, and stuck her foot out under his. His eyes widened, and he found himself flying near an empty carriage. He sat up, and glared at the roseate devil, "See what I _mean_?"

Sakura tilted her head, replying innocently, "_Whatever_ do you mean by that, Kenpachi-niisan?"

Kenpachi rolled his eyes for the millionth time that day. He stood up and bent backwards, placing his hand behind him, as he stretched. He looked around and noticed the sunset. He nodded, before he said, "C'mon Sakura. We need some _well_-needed rest." He led them to an alley.

Kenpachi walked into the dark to nap, while Sakura and Yachiru stayed out in the remaining light to play. Sakura watched as Yachiru began drawing a flower. She smothered a yawn, before she stood up and walked near the dark. She sat down and leaned against the wall, watching her little pink-haired imouto.

She smiled when Yachiru grinned at the picture she jsut drew on the ground. A picture of their family, which consisted of Kenpachi-niisan, herself, and Yachiru. They were merrily swinging their swords around in wild arcs in the picture.

All of the sudden, she heard someone hollering like a banshee from outside the alley. She reached for her sword, just in case trouble was stirring. She heard some of the words the voice was screaming out, "Who wants to fight? I need a good challenge!"

Sakura's eyes turned into slits. 'What a moron,' she snarled out mentally, 'Whoever that is, he picked a bad time to disrupt our peace. Messing with Kenpachi-niisan when he's in a good mood is a bad idea. Same goes for me. I've grown quite annoyed to people who ruins my mood. Guess I picked it off from niisan."

The voice continued, "There must be one or two of you who wants to die!"

Sakura smiled toothily. 'What a coincidence, there's Kenpachi-niisan and _me_! Except, we won't die—' She chuckled quietly, '—he will.' Yachiru suddenly giggled loudly when she finished with her drawing. Sakura palmed her face. "Oh _shit_. Quiet down, Yachiru!" Sakura whispered sharply.

Unfortunately, the sounds of feet running on ground was heard. Sakura sighed, before she stood up, still hiding in the shadows like a ninja. She unsheathed her sword from its red scabbard and waited for someone to appear.

The screaming banshee skidded to a stop to see a pink-haired girl, who looked less than six years old, drawing figures on the cement with a white chalk. He twitched, before he stuttered, "W-What the!"

"If you were smart, you'd leave," Yachiru chanted cutely, as she synonymously drew figures on the ground, "Ken-chan and Saki-nee are in a good mood today!" She went on her knees, and looked up at the man seriously, but failed, "Unless you enjoy alot of pain, you should go!"

The bald man, Sakura noticed, smiled smugly, not taking her little sister seriously. He perched his sword on his shoulder, snorting at the pink-haired girl, "Ugh, yeah right. Your 'friends' are in a good mood! Like, that's any reason to worry." He waved her off, forcing himself to not laugh at the idiotic roseate.

"You sure are _stupid_," Yachiru suddenly sneered, causing the bald man to frown deeply, "they will lose all control! Well, Ken-chan will actually! Saki-nee is more patient than he is! But, when you fight 'em, they're really good! That's when they end up having fun!"

"What's that?" The man shouted, waving his sheathed sword over Yachiru head. That's when Sakura decided to step in and intervene. But, her older brother, who was _supposed_ to be resting suddenly stood up and came out of his hiding spot.

"Hey," he said, a tint of anger in his voice, "Don't even think about it." He looked down at the slightly intimidated man, before letting out a spike of his reiatsu. A small yellow beam of light suddenly erupted from him and caused the cloth draped on his shoulder to be shredded to pieces.

The man backed away, sweating at the killer intent. Kenpachi glared. "Are you gonna run?" Dust flew off in every direction, after his reiatsu spike.

Even after sweating bullets, and feeling insanely scared around the presence of Sakura and Yachiru's brother and father figure, he gulped audibly and stayed courageously, even having the guts to answer back, "No, I prefer to stay."

He jumped back, preferring to fight in a bigger area than the small, tight alley they were currently in. "My spirits are high, so let's have a little fun!" He shouted, feeling hyped up all of the sudden, after finally finding a real challenge.

Sakura stepped forward, sheathing her sword back in its scabbard, before scooping Yachiru in her arms, and walking out of the area. She mumbled something about, "Stupid, dumb barbarians. Have nothing better to do with their life, but fight, fight, and fight."

Sakura looked around her after finding a safe spot, seeing people surrounding them. 'They must've felt Kenpachi-niisan's high spiritual pressure, and that's why they're here.' She chuckled, feeling sorry for the bald man, before standing near a feminine man.

"Ikkaku..." The man warned.

"I don't want you to help, Yumichika!" That bald man, Ikkaku, bit back.

"I know that..." Ikkaku's best friend trailed off. With that, Ikkaku placed his sword horizontally across his face, and pulled his sword out of its navy blue sheath. He smiled, examining Kenpachi's chipped and worn-down blade. "You're strong," Ikkaku conceded, before grinning a shit-eating grin similar to Kenpachi's from before, "... or so it seems."

Kenpachi said nothing, but a mere, "Yeah..."

Ikkaku kept babbling, which was a frustration to Kenpachi, "I am strong as well."

Kenpachi scowled. "That's it. No more talking," He paused, suddenly lifting the balls of his feet up, "Now, _fight_!" He ordered, charging to Ikkaku. He swung his sword, causing Ikkaku to go on defensive and block it with his own sword. The impact was surprising. It was so powerful that it caused a crater below the spot Ikkaku was standing on. Everyone in the crowd, in exception of Sakura and Yachiru, gaped at the display of power.

While Ikkaku was still shielding himself from the sword, which Kenpachi kept pushing on him, causing him to curl his toes and hopefully glue himself to the ground, he was wondering just who in the world he was, 'Who is this guy? Not only is he strong,' Kenpachi brought his sword up high and began swinging it on Ikkaku's sword in rapid motions, 'He's incredibly fast!' Ikkaku's eyes widened, when he realized that Kenpachi was about to swing a powerful sweep. He jumped out of the way, glad that he did, because if he stayed on his spot, he would have been cut in half.

Kenpachi's sword hit the ground, causing debris to fly everywhere, while Ikkaku was already breathing hard. The two rosettes' brother suddenly grinned widely when blood appeared on Ikkaku's bald head after a small cut from his sword. The blood trailed down from his bald head to his mouth. Ikkaku licked the red substance, a smirk suddenly on his face. "Heh, this is fun," he said, going on offensive, "In fact, this is the most fun I've had since I came here!" He charged at Kenpachi, jumping in the air and landing back near the man. He used the land as an advantage and swung his sword. Unfortunately for him, Kenpachi saw right through it and blocked it with his zanpakutō.

"Ah, good for you." Kenpachi said sarcastically, swinging his sword.

As the two continued to fight, the crowd watched in astonishment. "Who is this guy," Ikkaku's feminine friend, Yumichika, said in amazement, "His strikes are so fast, I can hardly see it." A voice behind him suddenly interrupted him.

"It is quite a miracle that you can even see any of it at all. My brother is strong. I'm sorry, but your friend cannot possibly hope to defeat him." He whipped his head sharply towards the voice to see a beautiful pink-haired girl with the softest hair he's ever seen.

"OOOH! Hello there! What conditioner do do you use?" He asked, swooning at her soft hair, while his best friend fought relentlessly in the background.

The pink-haired woman sweatdropped, before Yachiru said, "Ken-chan is smiling! But, it's a shame really... it's almost over." She frowned, looking rather disappointed at the short amount of time. Yumichika's eyes widened, before he looked back at the battle.

The pink-haired girl was right, not even a second later, he suddenly witnessed the first defeat of his best friend. "Ikkaku!" Yumichika screamed worriedly at his fallen friend. Everyone in the crowd, after that, scrambled away, fearing that Kenpachi might turn on them.

Just when Kenpachi was about to turn and walk away, Ikkaku spoke up, "W-Where are you going? Finish me off!"

Sakura appeared, Yachiru perched on her shoulder. She pulled on Kenpachi ragged clothing, and begged desperately, "Kenpachi-niisan! Please, let's go! We don't need to shed anymore blood! Just ignore the fool and let's head off to Sereitei!"

Kenpachi shrugged her off. "In a minute, Sakura," He turned to Ikkaku and scowled, "Sorry, I've got no obligation to hand over your suffering."

Ikkaku stood up and forced himself to speak, "I'm a warrior! I have my pride! Kill me!"

Kenpachi suddenly stomped up to him and grabbed him by his collar. "Shut up. If you like fighting so much, then stop whining and moaning for me to kill you. Don't accept loss, then wish for death! Never admit defeat until you're _dead_!" Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her brother always wanted to say that after battle, "If you lose and managed to live, then consider it your _lucky_ day. When that happens, only think about surviving. After all, there's a goal in your future."

Ikkaku whispered in a strained voice, "What's that?"

"Live and dedicate yourself on killing the one that left you alive." They continued to stare each other down for a few seconds, before Kenpachi smiled, "You know, I didn't hold back while I was fighting with you. You have plenty o' luck and that's why you're alive. _Live_ and try to kill me another day. See you around." He let go off the man's collar and turned around, walking away with his family.

"Wait," Ikkaku shouted, "Tell me your name! Don't go! Not until you tell me what your name is!"

Kenpachi looked back and replied, "Kenpachi. Kenpachi from Zaraki."

"... Kenpachi from... Zaraki...?" Ikkaku repeated, watching as the three siblings walked away.

* * *

"Hello, it's been awhile. How are you doing?" A feminine man wearing a pink kimono with flowery patterns, greeted as he entered the hut that his friend was currently resting in. He smiled, seeing his bald friend stuffing his mouth full with the food he prepared for him.

"Yumichika," Ikkaku said, watching the dark-haired man sit back on a chair a few feet from his bed, "I'm fine." He grabbed the bowl with soup in it and began wolfing it down, sighing in content once he devoured it all.

"So, you brought some news or what?" Ikkaku questioned, after slamming the bowl on the table.

"Yes, I've heard something that's _very_ interesting. I heard Kenpachi and his siblings joined the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

Ikkaku's eyes widened, before he repeated everything his friend said, just to register it in his slow mind, "The Thirteen Court Guard Squads..."

Yumichika nodded, explaining, "Yes, I heard that Kenpachi defeated the captain of the Eleventh Division in a single blow and he immediately became the new captain. Being a captain is probably the best way for him to fight as much as he wants."

"So, he plans to protect this disgusting world? Kenpachi..." He smiled, shaking his head, "It can't be. That's not his style." Even though he doubted Kenpachi having anything to do with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, he reached for his sword and placed it between his kimono and obi. Yumichika did the same.

"Wanna go take a look?" The dark-haired Yumichika asked.

"Nothing can stop me from tracking him down. I'd go to the gates of hell to find him." He stood up from where he was sitting on the bed and walked out, followed by his best friend.

"I knew you'd say that."

* * *

Yachiru peeked over the window, seeing the men clad in black lining up straight across each other. "Oohhhhh... They're all we have to work with this time."

A member of the division looked back to see the pink-haired girl. "Ugh, what is a _child _doing here? Now go on! Get away!" He shooed rudely to the confused Kusajishi Yachiru. She flipped over the open window and introduced herself.

"I'm co-lieutenant Kusajishi Yachiru!" She giggled, before running childishly towards the screen doors, "Ken-chan! Saki-nee!" It opened to reveal a grumpy man with a scar on his left eye, followed by another pink-haired girl.

Kenpachi skimmed the room keenly. The men clad in black backed away a few steps, fearing this new captain of theirs. "I'm the Captain of Squad 11, Kenpachi Zaraki. Listen carefully, I don't care where you're from, how old you are, or about your personal life," He began to walk towards a seat, followed by his pink-haired siblings, "I'm not going to condemn any of your viewpoints, nor will I send you down—" He sat on the seat, "—There's something that I want! What I want is very simple... your_ strength_. Strength and will. If you're strong and know how to fight, then you and I will get along very well."

Everyone in the room began to mutter to each other. "Sounds good to me!" A familiar voice shouted through the muttering. They looked to their side to see a bald man leaning against the wall, "Here I am, as you've suggested." Kenpachi and the bald man, Ikkaku, stared each other down, until they both snorted.

Unexpectedly a heavy book connected softly with Kenpachi's head. "Kenpachi-niisan, don't be such a selfish jerk. You're the captain of the squad now, you should be more responsible," She shook her head, before looking at Ikkaku, "And you, Madarame-san better not encourage him with your barbaric ways."

"And who are you to tell me that?" Ikkaku harrumphed stubbornly.

Sakura replied seriously, before grinning, "Your worst nightmare. I am Kusajishi Sakura, co-lieutenant of Squad 11. You see my brother, and I are actually quite the same. What we want is simple, your strength and will. But, there's something else I want from you too."

They paused wondering what this other thing she wanted was.

She smiled an innocent, yet deadly smile, which reminded them very much of the Captain of Squad 4's very own. "All I want is your cooperation. I am a law-abiding person, and I don't really appreciate people harrassing the rules. So, I'll tell you all this now... whoever drinks, and will not send their reports in on time will be punished greatly..."

While Sakura continued with her endless rules, everyone moaned, thinking that they would rather be killed by a hollow right about now.

* * *

A frown emerged on a pink-haired girl's features as she stared at the room before her. She was mad – no, fuming goddammit! Every single seated and unseated officers of the Eighth and Eleventh Squad, that including her squad's third seat Madarame Ikkaku and fifth seat Ayasegawa Yumichika, laid unconscious on the floor with drool flowing down their chins. Of course, that excluded the narcissistic fifth seat, who definitely seemed _slightly_ more sober than the rest of them.

Having heard the pink-haired fukutaichō enter, Yumichika looked up and gulped anxiously. He stood up staggeringly, before walking towards her in slow, quiet steps. By now, the rosette's face was as pink as her rosy-pink locks. And Yumichika swore, he _saw_ steam exit through her ears!

Coughing nervously, Yumichika decided to adjust the customized, orange cloth placed around his shikahushō collar, before finally having the courage to stammer what he wanted to tell her, "F-Fukutaichō! P-P-Please understand why we had a... party!"

The fukutaichō's mouth gaped, and she furrowed her eyebrows, boring her deathly pair of emerald-eyes at the fifth seat who suddenly found the wooden floor to be so interesting. Was there _ever_ a good reason for a bunch of obnoxious dimwits like them to gather and _party_? She thinks not! She finds that very reason enough as to why they shouldn't even have partied to begin with!

Not before long, a throbbing vein appeared on her temple; it, growing bigger and bigger when Yumichika continued with his excuse, "You see it was a _welcome_ party from the Eighth Division! Their taichō said that he can't have us new members feeling like we're not exactly feeling at home yet, so..." He trailed off, noticing the dangerous atmosphere all of the sudden. His eyes landed on his fukutaichō, whose eyes were looking down at the floor beneath her with hands clenched tightly.

Yumichika's pink-haired lieutenant suddenly whipped her head up at him so fast, she swore she had a vicious whiplash. "Ayasegawa Yumichika," she growled each syllables of his name and surname slowly, looking dangerously murderous as she did so, "it was a welcome party. A _welcome_ party! Aren't those parties supposed to be _formal_?" It was more of a statement than a demanding question.

Yumichika poked his forefingers together in anxiety, before stammering, "We found formal parties... boring?" He finished, unsure. He looked up hoping she bought all that crap he just said.

Unfortunately she didn't. "You _maggots_!" The pink-haired fukutaichō screamed venomously at the squad members. As if they were androids, whom automatically did tasks without command, they sat up rapidly with fear in their eyes, not even the least _bit_ hungover!

There was pregnant silence; no one dared to talk; no one dared to move; no one dared to _breathe_! Until everyone chose to shriek after the innocent-looking, though inhumane, girl finished what she wanted to say all along, "You're _dead_."

Although, it was easier said than done.

* * *

Sakura sighed, as she simultaneously rubbed small circles on her aching temples. She's had just about enough of it. She was the only one who was working her ass out in the Eleventh Division, while everyone had other busy (though stupid) things to worry about.

Of course, after the episode of her exploding in front of Eighth and Eleventh Division _and_ the Eighth Division's taichō Shunsui Kyōraku, everyone bustled themselves into working. And, believe it or not, that was the last time she actually managed to get them all to work.

So as of now, she's been trying to get them to work but to no avail.

And of course, Sakura was pissed – no, beyond pissed. Her _niisan_ would not shut up about being bored to death and saying something around, "There ain't no more barbarians around here except for Ikkaku and I. I want a fight." He was in no good mood lately, especially because the only reason he joined the Thirteen Court Guards was to have battles, but what happens? Captains are not permitted to fight one another, unless there was another taichō as a referee. Of course, Zaraki didn't mind this rule, so he went and asked a captain, though they refused, saying that Zaraki was a special case, and that Zaraki might go insane and let loose all his power. He _is_ a walking powerhouse, after all.

Sakura sighed. Kenpachi _did_ sound pretty desperate for a fight.

To that, the rosette smirked. If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get... though the fight can definitely wait. She had work to do! For Soul King's sake, Sakura was the only one who does paperwork around the place!

She continued to walk around the barracks, hearing some commotions here and there, but that's about it...nothing too exciting like the usual.

She sighed again for the millionth time. Maybe she can visit the Shinigami Academy with Yachiru to check out the students. It was said by Yamamoto-sōtaicho that the seniors were going to graduate soon, so it wouldn't hurt to observe some kids' abilities. And if one student satisfied the uptight, sassy Kusajishi Sakura, they'll surely be recruited to the Eleventh Division.

But _that's _the problem.

Everyone of the Shinōreijutsuin were scared of the said division. If Sakura was happy of one's potential, she would merrily talk to the student, asking the very question that would cause them running, "When you graduate, would you like to be recruited to the Eleventh Squad?"

Sometimes Sakura herself wanted to sprint away from her division too.

Unfortunately, she just couldn't. She shook her head. _Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it...especially when I have an insane squad, and an even _more_ insane family._

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Sakura decided to go on a walk near the Sixth Division. The Six Division somehow reminded her of something... someone, but she just couldn't put her head to it. Every time she visits Byakuya-taichō's barracks, a blurry, unrecognizable picture of what seemed to be four people comes across her mind. Whoever it was, she could see shades of yellow, black, silver, and a shocking shade of familiar pink. The shade of pink made her firmly believe that it was a picture of her and her past-life's loved ones, without a doubt.

Nodding herself off her reverie, she continued her trek towards the Sixth Division. Finally arriving, she settled near a cherry blossom tree and decided to have a little nap that wouldn't harm anybody.

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am... but may I please ask why you are sleeping here?" A feminine voice said, as the owner shook Sakura's body softly.

Sakura fluttered her eyes stupidly for a while, before standing up and nearly making the soft-spoken woman to fall on the green grass. The pink-haired fukutaichō was abruptly alarmed, even if the woman who scared the lieutenant shitless seemed harmless and fragile.

Sakura squinted her eyes at the woman, "Who are you?"

The soft-spoken woman smiled kindly and bowed in her plain, navy blue kimono. Although plain looking, it was beautiful on her. It complimented her shining purple eyes which had a small tint of blue in them. Her hair was jet-black and short. A short strand of frayed hair was at the middle of her kind face. "Hello, I am Kuchiki Hisana; wife of Byakuya-sama."

Hearing that, Sakura sputtered rather dumbly at her, "W-Wait, what? Byakuya-sama's wife? _You're_ Kuchiki-taichō's wife? I didn't even know that he had a...! O-Oh, my god―" By now she was on her knees, bowing down like an idiot, "―I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm _veeeery_ sorry, Lady Kuchiki! I was very rude for being so casual around you! I didn't know–"

Even though her squad was known to contain nothing but barbaric morons, Sakura still had her manners, goddammit! So right now, she was so embarrassed that she was red all over.

"It is alright. I do not mind and as you have told me, you did not know that I was Byakuya-sama's wife. And please do not call me Lady Kuchiki, please refer to me plainly as Hisana."

"But, Lady Kuchiki–!"

Hisana gave a reassuring smile, "No worries...I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

Sakura looked down, blushing in chagrin. "Ano...it's Kusajishi Sakura...Jūichibantai-fukutaichō."

Hisana gasped, stunned. "Goodness gracious. You are full of awe, Kusajishi-fukutaichō! Being a fukutaichō is amazing as it is, but of the Jūichibantai is beyond amazing. You must be very gifted. I have heard from Byakuya-sama that the Jūichibantai specializes in combat. Is that true, Kusajishi-fukutaichō?"

Sakura almost looked proud for a moment, but held her excitement in, pretending it was no big deal, "Oh please, Lady Kuchi― errr... Hisana. You are embarrassing me, and please... call me Sakura. Besides, I only managed to be a lieutenant due to my brother being the captain of my squad."

Now Hisana looked more stunned, and practically shouted, "Are you telling me that Zaraki-taichō is your _brother_?"

Sakura couldn't help but guffaw, as she waved her hand. "Yes, yes. He is my brother!" She replied proudly.

Hisana shook her head and inhaled a breath of air, before examining Sakura's face, "I apologize but I do not see a resemblance! I have seen your brother before and he seemed rather..." She paused, having no words to described Sakura's brother nicely.

Sakura laughed, "Yes, yes, I know. He looks rather scary, doesn't he? But inside, you should know that he is a big softie." She tried to sound convincing because everyone knows that her brother's appearance matches his personality _perfectly_!

Hisana nodded at Sakura, "That is reassuring, Sakura. Would you like to come to the manor? We can continue our conversation there."

Sakura gasped, "I don't want to impose—"

"Nonsense, Sakura! Besides, I don't have much friends! So, shall we?" Hisana insisted persistently, as she gave Sakura a look that the roseate just couldn't say 'no' to.

Sakura grinned gratefully. "Aw, alright. I do not have much too, so I appreciate the fact that you called a stranger like me, whom unknowingly trespassed in your property, a friend."

It was all true, what Sakura just said. Though she _did_ have friends, they were all boys. That including Ikkaku, Yumichika and Makimaki. Kenpachi-niisan and Yachiru doesn't count, due to the fact that they were family.

Hisana joked, "Maybe we can even be the best of friends, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura gaped at the honorific used after her name. She looked at Hisana who just looked at her obliviously for seconds before sighing and smiling, herself. "Yeah... maybe, Hisana-chan."

* * *

_A Few Days Later..._

"Hisana-chan, maybe we should visit the academy... I've gotta do some recruiting soon." A roseate fukutaichō told her friend, whom thought about her request.

"Hm, perhaps we could even bring Byakuya-sama with us. I hear he'll need to go there soon anyway with his lieutenant for recruitment of future graduates."

Sakura hesitated, before nodding, "Who is his lieutenant anyway, Hisana-chan?"

Hisana pinched her chin, thinking, "I think his name was Uchiha Itachi. Byakuya-sama mentioned something about Uchiha-fukutaichō graduating in a year after he attended the academy."

Sakura's eyebrow rose as a migraine suddenly caused her to flinch and grab her head.

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" Hisana placed a hand on her shoulder, worry evident in her eyes.

"Y-Yeah... just a migraine."

"Then, I guess we'll have to cancel our visit for today. Maybe tomorrow is a better choice to."

"A-Alright..."

* * *

_The Next Day..._

"We mustn't underestimate it!" A feminine-looking man wearing the usual shikahushō stated out, as he grabbed his pink-haired co-lieutenant who seemed to have been having a great time, as she looked jubilant at the caterpillar-like hollow that slaughtered Shinigami that sprinted towards it.

The hollow howled, apparently pissed at the lowly officers who stood on his way.

Kusajishi Yachiru, the younger of the Eleventh Division's lieutenants, applauded loudly. "Did you see that, Sakura-nee! The hollow just killed that Shinigami like it was nothing!" She shouted excitedly towards her _older sister_.

Her older sister gave her a look. "Yachiru, I don't think a _monster_ killing some of our _comrades _is something... interesting. I think it's horrible―" She kneeled down to the girl's eye level, giving her a strict look "―And you should too."

She looked down in shame, pouting. "Sorry, Sakura-nee..."

"Yachiru, ignore this killjoy. You're only trying to have some fun." Someone twice as tall as Yachiru retorted, as he walked towards them, with his long sword in his hands.

"What was that, Kenpachi-niisan? You think murder is something to laugh at? Huh! No wonder Yachiru's mind is corrupted with these ideas of thinking that _killing _is _fun_."

While the two continued to argue and so, Yumichika and Ikkaku were still staring at the hollows that were coming too close. Ikkaku, deciding that he had to do something about them, said, "Alright then, I'll go."

Hearing him say that, Kenpachi and his monstrous, young _sister_ stopped what they were doing (which was apparently strangling each other to death) and glared at him.

"Hold it!" Kenpachi demanded, causing Ikkaku to stop on his tracks.

"Captain!"

"Get the man who fought first to pull out. You're all in that way!" He continued, walking past the higher officers who served under him. Yachiru beamed at that and cheered him on.

"Go, Ken-chan! Go, go, GO!" She shouted, as the man was about to leap off the cliff they were on. But before he could, his stubborn, older co-lieutenant had to stop him.

She gave him a squint of her eyes, before sneering, "I'm coming with you, niisan."

He sighed, knowing that refusing was not an option when it came down to his adoptive sister. He nodded, replying, "Do as you wish, you damn brat."

She growled sarcastically at his insult, "Gee, niisan, I love you too."

Before Kenpachi can shout back, Yachiru jumped, screaming ecstatically, "So what, I love you all!"

Kenpachi and Sakura chuckled at that, before running off towards the hollow.

"C'mon, give 'em a beating!" Yachiru continued to cheer.

Nodding, Sakura yelled at Kenpachi, "I'll take the right, okay?"

"Sure!"

With that, they went to their own respected battles.

Sakura landed in front of the giant hollow. Its tails were swaying around, hitting trees that surrounded the area. With that mere observation, Sakura already knew how to defeat it.

Pulling her sword out of its sheath, which was placed between her shikahushō and obi, she shouted her command to bring forth her shikai, "Initiate a tremble upon your approach, _Chikyūtoumi _(The Earth And The Seas)!" Her usual nodachi suddenly morphed into another type of weapon, which resembled a guandao, due to it being long, pole-like and double-edged. Surrounding the area around her hilt were four strange ax-like blades.

With that mere command, a quake suddenly caused the ground to shake unceasingly. The hollow lost its balance and fell on the ground. It growled impatiently along the way, and tried to get back on its feet. But before it could, it was too late.

"_Chikyūnoikari_ (Earth's Wrath)!" She yelled, before leaping up and going down again with a falling axe kick on the hollow's mask. The mask cracked, before the rest of what was the hollow was finally obliterated to pieces.

Sakura landed gracefully on the ground, grinning. "Well, that was fun."

Kenpachi deadpanned, "Wasn't _killing_ something _not_ fun?"

The pink-haired girl poked him harshly on the chest, "This is a different case, you asshole." With that, she walked away, leaving the Great Kenpachi of Zaraki to stroke his abused chest.

"Jeez. How can a petite, innocent-looking midget be so inhumane?"

* * *

Today was the day, Sakura cheered. Today was the day _they_ will visit the academy! By _they_, she meant Byakuya, his quiet lieutenant, Hisana, Yachiru and, believe it or not, _Kenpachi_.

They all stood there standing in front of the gates of _Shinōreijutsuin_. Sakura looked at Hisana and Byakuya and whistled. They were wearing some pretty expensive looking robes. Hisana wore a beautiful white furisode with red camellia flowers decorated on its swinging long sleeves. Of course, a white exaggerated robe fit only for a noble draped on her shoulders. As for Byakuya, he wore his Shinigami uniform beneath his own robe. His robe had dangling, gold objects that was attached to a string; the string itself also attached to his haori collar.

Beside them, Sakura felt exposed. She was only wearing her normal Shinigami uniform. And this goes for that Itachi guy, and Yachiru. At least Kenpachi looked important with his captain haori.

Guards stood near the giant gates. They seemed to study the group, before nodding, "You may pass."

And to that, they did. Sakura was stunned to see academy students standing around the exit. Most of them were gazing at Sakura, Yachiru and Kenpachi.

"Who are they?"

"Idiot! That's the Jūichibantai taichō and co-fukutaichōs!"

"What! I believe that the man is the captain, but those fragile-looking girls are his vice-captains? That's just unbelievable!"

Kenpachi suddenly towered before the kid who just said that, "You dare insult my siblings?" He challenged, "You should know that I trained them _myself_. If you see them as not capable, then I shouldn't be too. Ain't I right, brat―?" Before he could continue, sudden pain suddenly emerged to his abdomen.

"Niisan," the culprit began, as she glared at the student who was scared shitless at the moment, "they're not worth your time." She walked up to the student and bent over to his eye level, "Child, don't insult us because you and I both know that you wouldn't last a day as a Shinigami if you try."

The student nodded, "H-Hai, ma'am! G-Gomen!"

"Just remember that being _too_ judgmental won't take you far in life."

With that, she walked away with a grumbling older brother and admiring fans.

Now, all they needed to do was to go to the office for confirmation of their visit.

* * *

_Arriving at the office..._

The secretary gasped at the sight of the Eleventh Squad's symbol, the Yarrow Flower, before nodding herself off her reverie. "Good day to you, jūichibantai-fukutaichō. May I ask why you are here? I apologize, but your visit is rather unexpected. You didn't make an appointment." She forced herself to be courteous to the Combat-Squad's Second-In-Command. She has heard about the pink-haired girl, but never thought the rumors were true. Of course the rumors has said that the Jūichibantai's fukutaichō was innocent-looking, but dangerous. And as the secretary looked at the vice-captain's emerald eyes, she saw a tint of mischief _and_ she felt as if her eyes were saying, "I won't take your crap."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at the fidgeting woman. "Stand still, woman. And don't call me jūichibantai-fukutaichō because you should have known that there are two co-lieutenants―" This was when Yachiru decided to pop up from behind the older pink-haired girl's shoulder and give a Victory sign. "―of the Eleventh Squad. Call me Sakura-fukutaichō; Zaraki-taichō's sister.

The woman sweat dropped at how unbelievably blunt the girl was. "H-Hai...jūichi—er...Sakura-fukutaichō. I apologize for my lack of formality."

To that, Sakura replied in incredulity. "Lack of formality? Please, woman. You're more formal than all members of the Jūichibantai combined. Now, give my sister and I a pass. And would you hurry up and inform your damn principal that we're here! We've already wasted enough time." She looked at the clock that was across her, and sighed.

"But, ma'am...you must give me a reason why you are visiting at school hours..." The secretary stammered nervously.

Sakura groaned. "To evaluate some students! Now, shut up. I'm only going to be here for the future graduate's zanjutsu, hohō, and kidō classes! Is that a good enough reason for you!"

The other woman managed to weakly whisper, "U-Understood, ma'am! Please excuse me...I'll go inform our principal!"

Sakura muttered, "_Everyone_ just has to be so nosy."

* * *

After informing the office of their visit, the group immediately went off to the Zanjutsu building, which seemed to tower most buildings due to its humongous height.

They walked and walked, the sounds that could only be heard was of Sakura and Hisana chatting. "So, it's your first time here, right Sakura-chan?"

"Aa, not exactly, Hisana-chan. But, I must say, this place is amazing."

"Yes, that was my first reaction."

"Your _first_ reaction," Sakura started, giving Hisana a look, "What was your next"

"Annoyance."

That caused both friends to laugh gracefully. Byakuya heard them and couldn't help but smile at the sight of seeing his wife so happy. "Hey, you noble bastard! Why are you smiling like an idiot for?" Byakuya heard that barbarian of a captain yell.

The smile disappeared and he glared at the man, "I think that is none of your business, barbarian."

Hisana and Sakura looked at the two, and chuckled, "You think they could be best friends, too?" Sakura asked.

"Of course, Sakura-chan."

Before the two can continue laughing, someone suddenly appeared behind Hisana and grabbed her.

"Where have you been, Rukia?"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor Bleach.  
beta-reader: Madame Yuko  
author: you're beautiful.

_edited: 4 February 2012._


	2. Full Transformation

Sakura immediately reached for her zanpakutō, after she heard Hisana yelp softly after being grabbed by the wrist roughly by some red-haired boy. She glared at the academy student. He wore the usual blue shitagi, a white kosode with blue stripes, blue hakama. There was a circular symbol on both breasts of the kosode.

Before Sakura can speak, Hisana's husband, Byakuya-taichō spoke up first, demanding who the boy was and why was he touching his wife. "Stay away from my wife, you commoner. Know your place!"

The boy whose hair resembled a red pineapple, snorted, before growling back at Byakuya-taichō, "Rukia? Your _wife_? Don't joke with me! I don't care if you're some aristocrat or something, you can't make me stay away from my friend!"

Hisana was about to inform the idiot that he didn't know what he was talking and that she never even met him in her whole life, but he hushed her, "Rukia, don't interrupt, I'm talking to this arrogant bastard!"

Unexpectedly, Byakuya-taichō's handsome lieutenant unsheathed his zanpakutō and placed its tip on the boy's forehead. He had a calm demeanor on, but he seemed annoyed by what was happening. He spoke, sending shivers down Sakura's spine, "I will not let you talk to my captain like that, you fool. Hand over taichō's wife, or you will face the consequences."

The boy gritted his teeth, and began sweating bullets. He pulled the confused Hisana behind him, somehow trying to protect her. "Rukia, stay behind me," the red-haired boy whispered to Hisana, who just gave a shook her head in confusion. The young man looked back at Itachi and glared, "You don't scare me!"

Sakura rubbed her temples, before stepping forward. She grabbed Itachi's hand which was clenched tightly around the hilt of his katana, ignoring the strange feeling and the goosebumps on her skin, before lowering it down to his waist, forcing him to sheath his sword back in its scabbard. "Uchiha-fukutaichō, there's no need to scare the fellow," Sakura whispered softly, before turning back to the red-haired boy, "I'm sorry, but you've mistakened Hisana-chan—"

"That's Lady Kuchiki to you." Byakuya corrected icily.

A vein throbbed in Sakura's temples, but she nodded. "Uh, yeah... You've mistakened Hisan— er... Lady Kuchiki as your friend. She doesn't even attend this school, so if you don't mind, we would like her back with us because it's clear in her face that she is quite confused right now."

The young red-haired man widened his eyes a fraction, before he gaped, "E-Excuse... Excuse me... b-but...! Did you just... D-Did you just say 'Lady _Kuchiki_'?"

Sakura raised a pink eyebrow, before she nodded, shrugging. "Well, yeah..." She trailed off, fighting the urge to laugh at the boy's face, "I sure as hell didn't say anything else. Hisana is the wife of the Head of the Kuchiki Family, so you should release her right now if you don't want to get in big trouble."

The redhead whipped around and examined Hisana's face. He gaped noticing that this girl looked exactly like his friend. The only difference was that Hisana's bangs were frayed, unlike his midget friend's. He backed away, nervously, before he turned around to apologize truthfully for his mistake, "I am so very sorry! Please forgive me—" He went on his knees, before he began bowing down, "—Please, please forgive me! I did not know! It's just Lady Kuchiki resembles my best friend! I'm really, really sorry."

'That's it,' Sakura thought, 'I can't hold it any longer!' With that, she burst out laughing at the poor kid. She held her stomach, gaining a cramp already because she was giggling so hard. She then spoke between laughs, "It's alright, kid! But, it would be nice if you can escort us to our next class. We're here to recruit some potential graduates."

The academy student nodded, still looking rather apologetic. "I'm Abarai Renji, by the way," He introduced himself, releasing Hisana, who walked back to Byakuya quickly, "May I ask which building you are heading to right now?"

Sakura nodded. "Nice to make your acquaintance, Renji-san. I am Kusajishi Sakura, lieutenant of the Eleventh Division—" She turned around and introduced the others, "—That is Kuchiki-taichō and his wife, Kuchiki Hisana. That is Uchiha Itachi, Kuchiki-taichō's fukutaichō. And these are my siblings, Zaraki Kenpachi, Eleventh Division Captain, and Kusajishi Yachiru, co-fukutaichō. We're all trying to look for the Zanjutsu building."

Renji snickered, before answering her, "You are already in the Zanjutsu Building! Which class? Practical or theory?"

Byakuya, Itachi, and Sakura glared at Kenpachi and Yachiru. They were the one insisting that the Zanjutsu building was two buildings away from where they were currently located. Sakura replied venomously, still glaring at her niisan, "Practical."

Renji beamed, "Ah! Practical Zanjutsu is my next class! Please follow me. Again, I'm very sorry for this!"

"You are forgiven." Itachi, Hisana and Sakura said in unison, while Kuchiki-taichō said otherwise, still not trusting the redhead.

With that, they followed Renji.

* * *

Once entering the Practical Zanjutsu Classroom, all students whipped their heads towards the visitors. They stared at them intently, waiting for their introduction. Their teacher nodded, when the older pink-haired girl whispered something in his ears.

He clapped his hand, before he announced, "Alright, class! We have a few visitors from the Thirteen Court Guards Squads today! First up, we have the Eleventh Division Captain, Zaraki-taichō! He also brought along his co-fukutaichōs, Kusajishi Sakura and Kusajishi Yachiru. Second of all, we have the captain of Squad 6, Kuchiki-taichō and his fukutaichō, Uchiha Itachi. Of course, his wife, Kuchiki Hisana has decided to tag along too!" He sent a kind smile around the class, before asking if there were any questions.

No one raised their hands. Murmurs were being sent around the room, wondering if Hisana was related to a certain girl. The professor clapped his hand, trying to silence the students. "They are here for recruitments, so you must behave yourself and try your best. Now, we will be having spars, and since we have an odd amount of students in this class—" He turned to one of the visitors, asking if someone would like to volunteer and spar with a student in zanjutsu. Sakura and Itachi volunteered, but in the end, the professor chose Sakura, finding her to be a more suitable spar partner to the student, and not the cold, emotionless Uchiha. "—okay! So, Kusajishi-fukutaichō will be sparring with Yamanaka Ino!"

Whispers erupted in the room. "Yamanaka-san and that pink-haired girl? But, the fukutaichō looks so fragile! I'm laying my money on Yamanaka-san!"

Someone agreed, "Yeah, I heard that the pink-haired girl only became a lieutenant because Zaraki-taichō and her are siblings! Talk about favoritism. That's absolutely not fair to anyone."

Sakura chose to ignore all of the incredulous stares, while the teacher gave an apologetic look. "Class, class! Now, don't say that! You should know Kusajishi-fukutaichō is one of the strongest lieutenants of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads! Underestimating her would be a bad thing to do!"

Sakura flustered, sending a quiet 'thank you' to the kind teacher. The teacher shook his head, muttering, "No, not at all, fukutaichō—" He turned his attention back to the class, who still hesitated on believing their professor, "—Alright, so can we please have Abarai Renji and Izuru Kira? You will both spar first. Remember to do your best, because two captains, three vice-captains, and a clanhead's wife has their eyes on you."

The two nodded nervously, before making their way towards the fields. Renji was in the left side, while Kira was in the right. They stared at each other down, Kira saying 'good luck', while Renji gave an arrogant smirk. The professor shouted, "BEGIN!"

With that the two future graduates charged. Sakura narrowed her eyes, interested in the fight. Renji's form wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. He was focusing more in power than speed, Sakura noticed, due to his slow swings. While on the other hand, Kira was quick, yet he was somehow hesitating. Sakura shook her head. Renji would be a good choice in recruiting, but Kira... Kira wasn't excellent in combat. He needed to work on it, and he must not be so reluctant.

After a while, Kira suddenly found himself on his back, with a sword near his throat. Thus, the teacher announced Renji, the winner. Renji chuckled, pulling his disappointed friend up on his feet. They began talking, but Sakura couldn't hear a word they were saying.

"Alright, so we have Yamanaka Ino and Kusajishi-fukutaichō next! Please make your way here to the field!" Sakura sighed, walking up to the field. Ino was standing across her with a kind smile.

They bowed at each other, before the teacher announced, "BEGIN!"

Before anyone can even realize that Sakura shunpo-ed next to Ino, the blond-haired girl was sent flying to a tree. Everyone gasped at the girl's speed and power. A mere _punch_ sent the class' best Zanjutsu student, _flying_.

Yachiru began cheering her big sister on, "WHOOT! GO, SAKI-NEE! GO!"

Sakura sent a kind smile towards her little sister's direction, before unsheathing her zanpakutō from its scabbard. Ino appeared behind the tree, blood dripping down her chin. Sakura looked away, feeling guilty all of the sudden. She furrowed her eyebrows, before rubbing her temples. She was having those stupid headaches again. She examined her opponent, and her eyes began to twitch.

The class watched, confused. "What's the lieutenant doing rubbing her temples like that?"

"Ino underestimated Sakura-fukutaichō before, but knowing Ino... she won't make that mistake again," Renji commented seriously, "Right now, Sakura-fukutaichō is underestimating Ino. Why is the lieutenant just standing there like that?"

The rest of Renji's classmates nodded in agreement, shaking their heads in disappointment towards Sakura's direction. She was still rubbing her temples and grimacing. To their standpoint, it seemed like she was annoyed and frustrated because of how easy it was to hit the top student of the Zanjutsu class.

Sakura groaned, massaging her throbbing temples. She closed her eyes and grunted, tapping her foot impatiently. A scowl appeared on her face, and she began muttering curses, "_Chikyū_, you damn brat, I'm calling out to you! Why won't you reply? Are you trying to piss me off again? Is this some kind of joke?"

The class gave Sakura a weird look, before murmurs erupted through the class again.

Sakura growled, stabbing the ground with her zanpakutō and began shouting profanities at it, "Chikyū, do you hear me? I'm trying to call out to you, you stubborn brat! Why won't you listen? Chikyū!" Sakura was practically pulling her own hair in frustration now.

Ino gave a blank look before she shook her head. She immediately unsheathed her sword, using Sakura's confusion to her advantage. "Poison, Mokuzai Chūdoku." The blade of her sword suddenly morphed into a purple fog before it slowly circulated around Ino's body. She stared, twitching hard, when the vice-captain kept cussing her zanpakutō like there's no tomorrow. Ino held onto the hilt of her sword tightly before charging towards the fukutaichō, the purple haze quickly following her. She swung her sword and the haze around it solidified into a blade.

To her, it seemed as if Sakura didn't even acknowledge her because she continued to stare hard onto her soul cutter. Ino gritted her teeth before she shrieked in frustration. "Don't you underestimate me just because you're a full-pledged Shinigami!" She shunpo-ed behind Sakura and swung her sword. Sakura felt the breeze from the shunpo and immediately went on defensive. She whipped her head around and stopped the sword by clapping it with both palms. The blade was now near her face.

Sakura looked and smirked. "You're going to have to do better than that, Yamanaka-san." Her smirk dissipated when Ino returned it with an arrogant one.

"That's what you think," Ino suddenly heaved a deep sigh, before she shouted, "Sengiri Hana." The sword suddenly glowed purple and it then morphed into a vine whip. Sakura winced and yelped when the thorns of the whip dug deep in her palms. She bit her lip, trying to stop herself from making any painful noises. She jumped back and began the process of healing her hands. Finally, after only a few seconds, her hands were almost back to normal.

Ino snorted, before she charged again. "This is what happens when you underestimate me, Sakura-fukutaichō!" With that, she attempted to whip Sakura with the long, thorny vine.

Sakura cursed when she noticed her zanpakutō near Ino's side of the battlefield. Without her zanpakutō, Sakura can't possibly block the attack. Now she was desperate, therefore she chanted, "Bakudō # 39, Enkosen!" With that, a shield made of condensed reiatsu appeared before Sakura and protected her from immediate harm. Unfortunately, Ino did not give up and persisted on making the vine hit Sakura. Ino decided to continue swinging her vine whip until the shield was no more.

Ino's plan was working because a crack suddenly appeared on the shield. Sakura jumped up, leaving a crater on the ground due to the force. Desperate times, called for desperate measures, so she immediately worked on an incantation, "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudō # 61, Rikujōkōrō!" Six thin beam of lights suddenly slammed into Ino's midsection and the blonde gasped in surprise.

"Coward!" Ino snarled, while Sakura stared at her shamefully. She wanted to pull her hair out in frustration because she wouldn't have to do something so lame if her zanpakutō wasn't being a total snob at the moment.

/_Is that so, Sakura?_/ An unfamiliar, feminine voice suddenly erupted in Sakura's mind.

'Huh?' Sakura replied stupidly, whipping her head around in every direction of the classroom. This, of course, earned her some strange looks from the spectators.

/_Must you depend on your zanpakutō so much?_/

Sakura answered, annoyed, 'Shinigami always depend on their zanpakutō! Why are you asking me this now of all times? And, who are you anyway?'

/_My name is..._/ The mysterious voice said.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, before she tilted her head to the side. '... What was that?' Sakura asked, confused.

/_My name is_..._!_/

'Sorry, I didn't hear you. Can you repeat that again?'

_/My name is_—/ Realization dawned on the mysterious female and she chuckled inside Sakura's mind, /_I see... you are still not ready to take me on, Sakura. You are still far too weak. Perhaps when you become stronger, will I tell you my name._/

'Wait!' Sakura shouted mentally, but it was too late. The voice was gone and her mind was blank. She sweat dropped, before cursing once again. Sakura clicked her tongue, before she shunpo-ed right beside her zanpakutō, which was a few metres away from the binded Ino. She smiled widely, before picking up her beloved soul cutter. Upon picking it up, her zanpakutō's spirit snarled at her mentally.

/_Who the heck d'ya think ya are, you stupid roseate? Just 'cause you couldn't summon me, you gotta abandon me like that?_/ Her annoying zanpakutō shouted, peeved.

Sakura snarled back, equally annoyed as her zanpakutō, Chikyū. 'Shut up, Chikyū, you bastard! I left you accidentally, okay? So, stop bitching about the past already and just lend me your damn powers, brat!"

Her zanpakutō began to murmur, before he finally gave in. /_Fine, whatever. But, because of this... you'll have to visit later and train with me for hours, okay?_/

Sakura approved, 'Gladly.'

"Initiate a tremble upon your approach, _Chikyūtoumi_!" The ground suddenly shook and everyone, excluding the captains, vice-captains, Hisana, and the professor, watching the scene fell down, unbalanced. The students stared in shock, as the nodachi turned into a beautiful guandao.

Sakura stabbed the guandao's blade on the ground and she chanted a technique, "_Chikyūnomāshī _(Earth's Mercy)!" The earth cracked starting from the zanpakutō, slowly making its way towards the terrified Ino. "Now, you have a choice, Yamanaka Ino. You can either give up and save your life or be persistent, but die. My zanpakutō is suprisingly merciful, so pick your choice."

Ino bit her lip, before she mumbled her answer, "I... I... I give up..."

Sakura smiled kindly. "Smart decision. There is no reason for someone as potential as you to pointlessly give their life away because of their stupid pride. Not to insult Ukitake-taichō's principles in the battlefield, or anything... but honestly, I find it... dumb. Fighting to protect is a good thing, but fighting to preserve your stupid pride, in exchange for your precious life, is idiocy. Yamanaka Ino, I have a proposal to make. The Eleventh Division would be more than happy to have someone like you to join our squad!"

Ino was immediately released from the binds, as the ground beneath her reformed almost instantly. She stared up at the grinning pink-haired girl, before she clenched her hands into fists. "... I... I'm not so sure yet. I can't easily forgive someone like you. I'm sorry, but please do keep this proposal open still. I would like to think about it first. Thank you." With that, she bowed forcefully, leaving the fukutaichō stunned and guiltier than ever.

As Sakura continued to watch the flaxen-haired girl walk away towards the crowd of surprised students, her older brother walked up to her and ruffled her hair. "That was one nice speech you got there, Sakura! I am _soooo_ proud of you," Kenpachi said sarcastically, "But, ya know... you did kinda steal my speech from years ago, when I fought Ikkaku."

Sakura bit the insides of her cheeks, refusing to laugh out loud because of the reminder of the corniest speech that Kenpachi has ever spoken. She can remember every single thing her brother said on that day.

_"In a minute, Sakura," _Kenpachi turned to Ikkaku and scowled, _"Sorry, I've got no obligation to hand over your suffering."_

Ikkaku stood up and forced himself to speak, _"I'm a warrior! I have my pride! Kill me!"_

Kenpachi suddenly stomped up to him and grabbed him by his collar. _"Shut up. If you like fighting so much, then stop whining and moaning for me to kill you. Don't accept loss, then wish for death! Never admit defeat until you're _dead_!"_ Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her brother always wanted to say that after battle, _"If you lose and managed to live, then consider it your lucky day. When that happens, only think about surviving. After all, there's a goal in your future."_

Ikkaku whispered in a strained voice, _"What's that?"_

_"Live and dedicate yourself on killing the one that left you alive." _They continued to stare each other down for a few seconds, before Kenpachi smiled, _"You know, I didn't hold back while I was fighting with you. You have plenty o' luck and that's why you're alive. Live and try to kill me another day. See you around."_ He let go off the man's collar and turned around, walking away with his family.

_"Wait,"_ Ikkaku shouted, _"Tell me your name! Don't go! Not until you tell me what your name is!"_

Kenpachi looked back and replied, _"Kenpachi. Kenpachi from Zaraki."_

_"... Kenpachi from... Zaraki...?"_ Ikkaku repeated, watching as the three siblings walked away.

Now that Sakura thought about it, that speech was actually pretty cool. But, there's also a downside to it because her brother's speech, especially the part where he mentioned the work 'luck' to Ikkaku, made the bald man invent a new dance – a dance that he called his 'Lucky Dance'. Just thinking about it made Sakura cringe at how traumatizing of a experience that was for the whole Squad 11.

* * *

"Wow, Sakura, you must've really gotten that blond chick pissed because she's been avoiding you like the plague," Zaraki Kenpachi mentioned out loud, as he sat on the tree branch with his younger sibling, "What exactly did you do to her?" He continued cluelessly.

Sakura snorted, biting the riped apple in her grasp. "Honestly, I have no idea," She shrugged, her emerald eyes following Yamanaka Ino, who was sparring with Abarai Renji, "I guess I kinda went too far when I binded her. It _was_ a lame move, and she got caught in it. That would make anyone mad. And to make it worst, I made her surrender the fight."

Kenpachi raised an eyebrow, before grabbing the riped apple, and taking a bite. "You _made_ her surrender? Really, Sakura? If I recall, you actually gave her a choice, and she decided that her life was more important," He brought his hand up and, once again, ruffled the pink-haired lieutenant's head, "You gotta stop blaming yourself on everything, you little brat."

Sakura smiled bitterly, remarking, "I'll stop, only if _you_ do, Kenpachi-niisan."

Kenpachi narrowed his eyes, before grunting in annoyance. "What are you talking about, Sakura?"

Sakura replied sadly, "You know very well what I'm talking about! That incident happened four years ago, and Yachiru and I forgave you. Wait, we didn't have a reason to forgive you in the first place, since we weren't mad at you at all!"

Her older brother seemed to have ignored her.

"Kenpachi-niisan," Sakura said dangerously, causing her brother to grimace, "Listen to me. It was Yachiru and I's fault, alright? You warned us! You told us to get out of your way, but what happened? We got on your way, so you accidentally hit us, instead of that damned hollow—!"

Zaraki-taichō gave her a warning look. "Don't talk about that, Sakura. I'm not in the mood." With that, he shoved the apple in Sakura's hand and jumped off, causing the branch to wobble slightly. He patted his shihakushō and trudged off, a dangerous aura radiating off of him.

Sakura stared at his retreating back, before clicking her tongue for the umpteenth time that day. "That stubborn idiot," She growled, "Why can't he just forgive himself already?" She balled her hands into fists and punched the branch she was sitting on. This caused the branch to suddenly emit a nasty crack, and break. Sakura shrieked, and fell from the tree. She hit several branches on the way down, _hard_, until her head finally impacted with the hard ground—

Wait. Why isn't she unconscious yet then? She opened her eyes slowly, only to see a handsome young man below her. He stared back at her emotionlessly with his onyx eyes. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until the cold man said, "Are you alright, lieutenant?"

The lieutenant of the Eleventh Division turned red all over, before hopping of the man and bowing down in apology. "I am _sooooo_ sorry, Uchiha-fukutaichō! I am so, so, so, so very sorry!"

The Sixth Division looked mildly intrigued, before standing up and brushing the dirt off his uniform coolly. He stared at Sakura, before smiling a small smile, "It is alright, lieutenant. But, you did not answer my question: are you alright, lieutenant?"

Right about now, the two were surrounded by a crowd of students who examined the two with great interest.

Sakura tilted her head to the side obliviously, before rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Mm, I think I'm okay, thanks to you, Uchiha-fukutaichō! I mean, you did catch my fall." Sakura suddenly twisted her face, when she realized what she just said.

Abarai Renji, who was one of the watchers, whistled, "Real smooth, Sakura-fukutaichō."

The handsome Uchiha chuckled, before shaking his head. "Not at all, lieutenant. Glad you are not hurt." With that, he walked away, leaving a disappointed Sakura.

Sakura sighed, pouting. Out of nowhere, a random bystander shouted, "What did you expect? A date?"

The pink-haired girl growled menacingly, "Alright, who the hell just said that?" The people surrounding her ran off, scared for their lives. The roseate shook her head, before she chased after the Uchiha.

"Fukutaichō, fukutaichō, wait up," She yelled out, sprinting towards the man who halted on his tracks.

Before Itachi can turn around and ask what she wanted from him politely, a black butterfly suddenly appeared and flew between them. Their eyes widened a fraction, when they heard a voice_. "Calling for all squads! Calling for all squads! Report to Squad 1's barracks immediately! This is not a drill. I _repeat, _this is _not_ a drill! There has been strange, yet strong spiritual pressures spotted in the Living World! Report immediately!"_

The two fukutaichōs glanced at each other, before exchanging nods and disappearing towards the exit, via shunpo. Arriving there, they saw Kenpachi, Byakuya, Hisana, and Yachiru waiting for them patiently. "Kenpachi-niisan! What's with these strong spiritual pressures that the Twelfth Division just uttered?"

Kenpachi shrugged, a smirk evident on his face, "I don't know, but I'm likin' where this is going. If it really is a strong spiritual pressure, then it should be worth my time. I'm goin' to the Living World to challenge these things!"

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, before shaking her head and muttering, "Why do I even bother?"

"Enough," Byakuya demanded, his patience wearing thin. His eyes hardened and he turned to his wife, "Hisana, I'm sorry, but you'll have to head to the manor." Hisana nodded, understanding the situation very well.

With that, the high officers headed straight to Squad 1's barracks.

* * *

After arriving at Squad 1's barracks, Sakura was beyond shocked to see every single officers standing there, chatting amongst each other in confusion. It seems like they, too, were not given full report of the problem. Whatever it was, it was definitely serious. Yamamoto-taichō has never ever made orders for all members of all squads to attend these meetings. It was usually for captains only, and if they were in a desperate time, they would also call in the vice-captains.

But, because everyone was here, it seems that trouble was stirring. Even Kyoraku Shunsui looked serious for once, as he commanded his usually laid-back officers to be still and silent.

Sakura looked around and spotted her squad's Third Seat, Madarame Ikkaku. She walked towards him, and asked him what exactly was going on, only to receive a shrug. "Beats me, fukutaichō. I was just nap – I _mean_, working, when a hell butterfly appeared and interrupted me from my hard work."

Sakura gave a blank look, before resisting the temptation to smack his bald head silly. "You seriously have to find a better and _more_ believable story than that, Ikkaku. That was just ridiculous."

Ayasegawa Yumichika, who somehow myseriously appeared behind the pink-haired lieutenant, nodded and agreed, "I'm going to agree with Sakura-fukutaichō on this one, Ikkaku. That was an absolutely unbelievable."

Sakura jumped slightly when Yumichika was practically breathing down her neck. She shivered slightly and shied a few inches away. Yumichika was a maniac. Everytime he saw her, he would sneak up behind her and breathe down her neck. Sakura had guessed that it was probably because of his obsession with her hair. Or perhaps it was with the color pink. Either way, it didn't really matter.

"_Anyways_," Sakura started, continuing to inch away when Yumichika was practically eyeballing her, "I think we should tell our squad members to behave themselves and—" She dirceted a shout towards the brawling psychopaths of her squad behind her, "—stop fucking fighting!" They immediately realized that their horrifying lieutenant had already arrived and straightened themselves up, feigning innocence.

Sakura rolled her eyes and growled something lowly about how she should've just joined the peaceful Fourth Division. They were giving her an invitation to join, but _nooooo_, her brother has refused and practically demanded her to be put in his squad.

That bossy asshole.

When all Shinigami officers were finally present, the First Squads captain tapped the ground with his staff loudly and asked for the officers attention. "Kurotsuchi-taichō. Please go on with explaining what these strange spirituals are in the Living World."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Captain of the Twelfth Division, stepped forward with an unwavering, toothy grin etched on his white-powdered face. "Nearly about two thousand years ago, a human has ambushed Sereitei with his army of Hollows. At first, no one seemed to have understood how a mere human being was able to manipulate such creatures like Hollows. But, this human was not human at all. His name was Arturo Plateado and he was a fully-evolved hollow."

"A fully... evolved hollow...?" Sakura muttered, fear evident in her voice.

"Arturo Plateado wanted nothing more than to seek revenge on the whole entire population of Sereitei for locking him up for two thousand years..." Kurotsuchi Mayuri trailed off, leaving the other shinigami officers in suspense. Unfortunately for him, Kenpachi wouldn't tolerate this, so he said:

"Would you just get to the point?"

"Don't rush me, you barbarian! Anyways, as you have already been told, strange spiritual pressures are currently in the Living World, and they are wreaking havoc in a certain town called Karakura Town. These hollows are also fully-evolved, and from what I have seen in my laboratory, it seems like there are two of these hollows, and they seem to be stronger than even Arturo Plateado."

Everyone was silence, in exception of Zaraki.

"This is gettin' interesting, don'cha agree, Sakura?" The tall barbarian chuckled, looking at his sister's direction. The sounds emitting from his throat stopped abruptly, when he saw the pink-haired girl shaking in fear, with hands clenched rather tightly at the side of her thighs.

With that, he decided that perhaps this was a pretty good time to at the very least, shut his mouth, for the sake of his sanity and his life.

After Kurotsuchi finished explaining the situation, Squad 1's captain, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, began giving out orders to many of the squads. The highest seated officers of the Eleventh Division were the ones selected to attack the fully-evolved hollows head on. This meant that Zaraki, Sakura, Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika. A few selected healers were also ordered to tag along to help them if needed, which Kenpachi reluctantly approved of after whining.

"If even the Eleventh Division cannot stand a chance against these creatures, we will have the Sixth Division ready if reinforcements are needed. Now, if there is nothing left to say, you are to all head on to your given missions!"

Everyone nodded firmly and headed to their assigned destination.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor Bleach.  
author: you're beautiful.  
notes: I am _soooo_ sorry about the very late update. I tried to make it up to you guys in September. I wrote about 12k words, but it got deleted because fanfiction was having technical difficulties about a month ago. I attempted to report my problem, but it simply did not work.

_edited: 4 February 2012._


	3. Remember Me

Sakura stood silently, staring with nervous eyes as a Senkaimon was summoned before the team of Shinigami chosen to rendezvous with the 'fully transformed' hollows. Sakura may have been a fully-fledged Shinigami... She may have been the Eleventh Division's vice captain, but this fact alone did not change her feelings inside. Her heart felt like it was in turmoil; her head was filled with fears, her body was shaking from trepidation.

Sakura was very confident in her prowess, but she knew that she was still inexperienced as a Shinigami. Hell, she has never ever even set a foot on the Human world. Uneasiness racked her body, when she noticed the Captain of the Combat team, her brother, trudge towards the light of the Senkaimon. The pink-haired girl sighed waveringly, before she followed her brother, disappearing within the depths of the Senkaimon, to Earth land.

* * *

Sakura sucked in a deep breath, as she stared at the scene that befell before her. She stood on the rooftop of one of the residential homes of the humans in Karakura Town. Beside her, her subordinates merely gave a nostalgic sigh, and smiled. Of course, they have been here. Her gaze landed on her brother who stared with intrigued eyes at the sight before them.

Karakura Town was illuminated with bright lights from the street lamps. The narrow streets were filled with vendors, persuading consumers with their goods. Uncertain customers shook their heads, before walking away, leaving the vendors disappointed, yet still persistent with earning some money to make a living. Stores were starting to close down, before the night would take over.

"Wow... It's so..." Sakura was speechless, as she continued to stare at the beautiful town.

Yumichika grunted, nodding his head, as he crossed his arms above his chest. He looked down at the town with cold eyes, on the wooden post he was currently on. "Yeah, it's nice, I guess. But, humans are disgusting. It's amazing and almost contradicting. Such petty creatures actually have the capability of creating such breathtaking buildings."

The pink-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "You speak as if you know them personally, Ayasegawa."

Yumichika shook his head, "No, Sakura-fukutaichō. I don't know any humans personally, but I know of them generally." His eyes landed on his best friend, Ikkaku, who looked almost irritated and uncomfortable under their gaze.

Sakura raised a pink brow. "Oh?"

Yumichika nodded, before leaning forward to whisper in Sakura's ear, "Ikkaku remembers a few things from his previous life as a human."

Sakura immediately understood what Yumichika was trying to say. She glanced at Ikkaku. Something terrible in his past life must have happened that cost him to feel so bitter towards humans. Sakura didn't want to pry into his personal life, but the thought of it made her giddy and curious. She doesn't remember anything much other than the blurred faces of people from her past, so the topic interested her very much.

Kenpachi gave a shit-eating grin. "You bunch of maggots. What'd I say about your personal life," He turned around and stared at his subordinates, "That I don't give a crap about it. All I ask for from you are your strength and will."

Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes at her thrilled brother. It was obvious that he couldn't wait to test the strength of these hollows that Kurotsuchi-taichō and Yamamoto-taichō spoke cautiously about, "Niisan, does it not make you the least bit curious though?"

Kenpachi deadpanned, staring at his sister blankly. "Prying into other people's business is not something that I enjoy. It's not a hobby of mine," He said, before jumping off the edge of the rooftop. He looked back at his pink-haired adoptive sister with a tantalizing grin. "It's yours, Sakura."

A tick mark appeared on Sakura's temples, before she jumped off and followed her brother. "Say that again, you bastard!" Her brother only continued to walk to the northern district of the town, choosing to ignore his sister.

Their subalterns sighed, before they too hopped off the tiled roof and followed their superiors. They were getting used to them insulting each other during missions.

"Niisan, what did you say? I dare you to repeat it!" Sakura growled running after her brother, who was picking his ear casually.

The older sibling, sighed, choosing to ignore his annoying pest of a sister. This only seemed to piss the girl off more.

"Sakura-fukutaichō, I don't think this is the right time to be quarreling with the captain now," Yumichika interrupted, trying to be as polite as he can.

"What did you just say, Yumi—" Before she could finish off her sentence, however, a loud explosion not too far away reverberated in their ears. Being physically weak, the Yonbantai Squad members whom tagged along, were thrown off slightly due to the blast.

Sakura was in high alert, even if she was scared. Her chest began to beat rapidly, but she buried her fears aside, and ordered the lower ranks and her younger sister, "Don't stray too far from the group! Separation is the last thing we need! Ikkaku, Yumichika, Yachiru! Make sure the Squad 4 members stay with us." She looked around her and noticed that the innocent human beings around her were caught in the explosion and laid unconscious on the ground. A few buildings around them were blown off, and some were on fire.

Humans, everywhere, were running in panic and confusion, not understanding what was happening at the moment.

"Shit." Sakura cussed, not comprehending the situation herself.

"Niisan! What's going on?" She shouted, looking in front of her, expecting her brother to be standing there. Her eyes widened and she realized that he was suddenly gone. "That idiot!"

Sakura looked back, relief flooding her when she saw her squad supporting the Yonbantai Squad members. Yachiru dragged two of the five members by the collar with both hands roughly; Yumichika wrapped an arm around the shoulders of the only female member of Squad 4 that tagged along, while Ikkaku placed one of the unconscious members on his shoulder and another, he dragged in a similar fashion as Yachiru. The pink-haired girl clicked her tongue, quite annoyed with the burden that the Squad 4 members were being at the moment.

She unsheathed her sword, and with caution, walked forward. She was careful of her surroundings.

"E-Everyone, stay together." She commanded, her hands involuntarily shaking. Turning a corner, she saw her brother with his signature grin plastered on his face, confronting two silhouttes that Sakura couldn't quite make out through the smokescreen.

"N-Niisan!" Sakura whimpered, happy to finally have reunited with her brother again, and simultaneously afraid as she stared at the mysterious silhouettes before her. "W-Who are they, niisan? Don't tell me they're the hollows that Kurotsuchi-taichō spoke of?"

They were smaller than Sakura had expected. She predicted this fully-transformed hollow to be bigger than a gillian, and stronger than an adjhucas, but there they stood behind the smoke, and they looked even smaller than Kenpachi.

Her brother nodded, silently, examining the new opponents in front of him.

The smoke began to disappear, and behind it, she saw two handsome men. Her head suddenly began playing scenes before her, and her eyesight suddenly became indistinct. Blurs of yellow and inky black distorted her sight and the last thing she remembered before passing out, was the worried voice of her brother, and the two fully-transformed hollows that seemed to stare at her with dilated eyes.

"Sakura?"

* * *

_Somewhere in Soul Society..._

"Well, well, well..." A brown-haired scholarly man with squared glasses began provokingly, "It seems to me that you're finally acceding to our agreement..." He wore the standard Shinigami uniform with a captain's haori. On the back of this haori, the Gobantai's emblem is present.

The man standing opposite to him kept a calm composure. He replied coolly, "Don't misunderstand me. I am here in order to fulfill my own plans. I have no intentions of following you all the way, nor do I intend to change my loyalty from Kuchiki-taichō to you."

"Wouldn't agreeing to Aizen's plans be equivalent to betraying your captain?" A man with unusual silver-hair and sharp features stated out nonchalantly, attempting to irk the well-composed man.

Unfortunately for him, the man was devoid of emotion recurrently, "That does not concern you, Ichimaru."

"Oh?" The silver-haired man spoke simply, his eyes opening for a brief moment to show his beautiful, yet menacing sky blue eyes. "You really are an interesting one... Itachi-kun."

The calm and collected man closed his eyes for a few seconds, before proceeding to open it, revealing his terrifying, yet mystifying red orbs. "Do not waste my time any longer, Aizen."

The atmosphere was thick; tense.

The man who was starting a new conspiracy, smiled. "Now, now, Gin... Don't anger our new ally."

Gin grinned, his eyes narrowing, if possible. "Of course..."

Itachi grunted. "What is it that you require me to do?"

Aizen replied, a dangerous smile appearing on his face.

"You will cause Kuchiki Hisana's death in a way that won't arouse suspicion."

Itachi growled lowly, daring the man to repeat what he had just uttered, "What?"

The conspirator was well aware that his new 'ally' heard what he said. "Yes, that's right, Itachi. It is all part of the plan."

"How is Kuchiki-taicō's wife involved in this in any way?" He was not backing down from this.

"The death of the clan-head's wife would throw the Kuchiki clan into chaos. With such a formidable opponent out of the scene, we are able to carry on with our plans more smoothly."

Itachi was not convinced. "But it still isn't a necessary move."

Aizen went on to explain. "You are unaware that Kuchiki Hisana is the sister of one of my pawns, Itachi."

"What are you going on about?" Itachi questioned harshly, his patience running thin.

"As you know, Kuchiki Hisana is presently searching for her long, lost sister that she had abandoned from long ago..." He trailed off, when he noticed Itachi twitch in realization.

"You are telling me that you knew where her sister was after all this time?" Itachi gritted his teeth.

"Yes. If she were to find her sister, our plans would surely be delayed because Kuchiki Hisana will definitely have her protected. We don't want that now, do we? We are to prevent that from happening. Kuchiki Hisana's sister plays an important role in our plans." Aizen announced, his smile never disappearing.

"And, what is that?"

"Deep within Kuchiki Hisana's sister, Inuzuri Rukia, is the Hōgyoku." Aizen revealed.

"...The Hōgyoku?" Itachi repeated.

"In order to fulfill our plans, we must first seize the Hōgyoku that is embedded in Rukia. We must make precautions and prompt Kuchiki Hisana's death. The Hōgyoku is capable of dissolving the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows. With this newly attained power, we are able to become stronger and surely, with it, our plans will not fail." The conspirator concluded.

Itachi finally understood Aizen's true intentions, and he nodded; His decision was made.

"Understood. The death of Kuchiki Hisana is well underway."

* * *

Sakura woke to the sounds of the ominous thunder and the perilous lighting. Not too far away, she could hear the roaring of the sea, as it pounded vessels to the shore harshly, destroying them. Opening her emerald eyes, she shrieked at the sight above her, where she lays. Her scream echoed throughout the seascape towering over her. Countless ships, boats, and dinghies were descending from the ascended waters above her. She might have been able to admire the view, if it wasn't for a boat that almost fell on her.

"What... What the hell?" She stammered, when she realized that she was floating on air. She whipped her head around, skimming her mysterious surroundings. Clouds lazily passed by her, and she sucked in a deep breath, "W-What the hell is going on? Where the hell am I? What am I doing here?" She reached for her zanpakutō, but noticed that the sword was not in its sheath and it was no where in sight.

An uncontrollable burst of hysteria suddenly struck her as she found herself being sucked into the ocean that was levitating over her head. "S-Someone! Anyone! Help!" Her eyes widened, when the water protruded an arm. The limb took her by surprise and pulled her by the hem of her Shinigami robes.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!" She screamed, terrified, when the elongated limb drew her closer and closer to the water. Drawing in a deep breath, she braced herself for what was coming. She shut her eyes closed, and she found herself being enveloped by the surprisingly warm ocean. Still holding her breath, she opened her eyes, and began probing her surroundings. She looked down and she could see the skies.

The sight was beautiful, yet contravening. The surface of the ocean was projecting a rainfall of vessels and descended them to the never-ending skies below. Looking up, she took note of the underwater volcanoes that girded the ridge of the floating waters. The gorges were discharging magma. The magma within contact of the water, immediately hardened into igneous rock. Around the area of each submarine volcanoes were hydrothermal vents. These fissures were releasing large escalating, bubbles of carbon dioxide that popped before it reached the exterior of the waters.

Sakura was so absorbed in sightseeing that she failed to realize that she was running out of air. "Ugh," She grunted, before she proceeded to swim down to the face of the ocean to inhale some oxygen. To her dismay, she was still suspending in the same place no matter how hard she propelled her arms. She no longer had air left in her, and she had no choice but to suck in a deep breath.

That was when she comprehended the whole situation. Taking a deep breath, she noticed that the water did not stop her from inhaling. "Just... Just what is going on?" She questioned once again, as she gaped around her.

_/Sakura.../_ A voice resounded behind her, and she turned around quickly to stare at the culprit. Something began to manifest from the water, and Sakura backed away cautiously, as she stared at the water morphing into a beautiful woman. She was wearing a sky-blue houmongi kimono with unsually long sleeves and waves as its patterns. She had lapis lazuli colored hair, while her her left eye and right eye seem to have a difference in coloration. Her left eye had the color of her hair, while her right eye retained the contrasting color of ruby-red. The woman reminded Sakura of her zanpakutō's spirit manifestation who also had heterochromia, but the coloration of his eyes were vice versa.

The woman had a beauty mark right below her right eye, and this, yet again, reminded the pink-haired girl of her zanpakutō's very own beauty mark under his left eye. Now that she thought about it, the woman appearing before her was the complete opposite of her sword's spirit. Suspicions stirred up in her head, and she squinted her eyes.

"Who are you?"

_/Hello, Sakura... Why, if it isn't a pleasure to meet you face to face for the first time.../ _The beautiful blue-haired woman's lips curved into a smile, as she stared down at the pink-haired girl with her soft, discriminated eyes. _/I take it that you are having trouble at the moment. Why have you come, Sakura? What is it that you need?/_

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about? If anything, I should be the one asking you that," She paused, contemplating the possibilities that this woman could be...

She shook her head. 'Impossible...'

_/Oh?/_ The beautiful woman spoke gently, _/But perhaps what you have just thought of is not entirely impossible, Sakura./_

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction, before she gaped at the woman. 'D-Did... Did she just read my mind? That can't be possible... Only... Only Chikyū is capable of that... Only my zanpakutō could do that...'

The beautiful woman proved her wrong, _/Yes... I have just read your mind, Sakura. Chikyū is not the only one capable of communicating with you./_

"Are... Are you saying that you are my...?"

_/Perhaps.../_ The woman replied mysteriously, _/Perhaps not.../_

"If you are..." Sakura began hesitantly, "Would you tell me your name...?"

_/I will... under one condition./_

"What is it?" Sakura asked, getting exhilarated.

The woman bowed her head, her eyes darkening, and her etched smile slowly turning into a terrifying grin. _/You must first.../_ She started, as she charged towards the shocked rose-haired girl. The force of her leap sent the bottom of her kimono to flutter about and reveal the tail of a mako shark. She pushed the long sleeves of her kimono out of the way to reveal her kama weapon,_ /...defeat me!/_

Sakura's eyes widened like plates, before she managed to barely dodge the woman's scythe. 'She... She is a mermaid?'

_/Stop admiring the fact that I am a mermaid.../_ The woman bellowed, as she threw the kama to Sakura's direction, _/... And fight me with earnest!/_

Sakura barely sidestepped the kama once again. Watching the kama disappear of into the distance, she moaned, her heart rapidly thrashing in her chest. 'That was close...'

_/What are you talking about.../ _The blue-haired woman murmured, as she held her hand out, unveiling a thread that was jutting out of the center of her right palm. Sakura's emerald eyes followed the thread's path and they widened when she could see something that was slowly coming closer from the distance. Before she could react, however, she found herself stabbed deeply through the chest with the blade of the woman's kama.

Sakura slowly looked down at the kama that was embedded in her chest with an afflictive expression on her face, before coughing up blood. The red substance floated in the water in front of her and it spread, as it ascended up into the fissures.

The roseate's opponent gave a grin similar to Kenpachi's: bloodthirsty. Her nose flared up, and she grinned toothily, unveiling her suddenly elongating fangs that looked like those of a shark's.

The last thing Sakura heard, before she fell on her back was the woman's blood-curling scream. _/Blood...!/_

'Is... Is this how am I'm gonna die? By the hands of my own nameless zanpakutō?' She thought, as she looked up at the volcanoes above her. They were releasing bubbles that slowly fell down to the face of the ocean. Sakura sighed, her eyes slowly closing. 'This is pathetic...'

_"Sakura-chan!"_

_"Sakura!"_

_"Ugly!"  
_

_"...Hn. You're annoying... Sakura."_

The pink-haired girl's eyes suddenly opened, as she looked around frantically, finding the source of those familiar voices. Once again, she heard the last voice that resounded in her ears. It was deep and velvety, and for some strange reason, Sakura longed for it.

'S-Sasuke?' She tilted her head inwardly. 'Huh... Who's... Sasuke? Why did that name randomly pop up in my head?'

_"You're nothing but a burden..."_

_"You deserve death..."_

_"Why is a weakling like you still alive?"_

As the voices inside her head kept discouraging her with such cruel words, Sakura's spirit slowly began to dissipate, as her eyelids were suddenly going heavy, and her body was numb from the pain that she was no longer able to withstand.

At that moment, Sakura no longer found a reason to go on, and she gave up...

Until, a loud voice clamored in her ears.

_"Sakura! You dumb idiot! You are my imouto, aren't_ _cha?"_ 'Y-Yes... Kenpachi-niisan...'_ "Then why are you showing such a pitiful face? Stand up! You must live!"_

A childish squeal was next:

_"Saki-nee! Ne, ne, wake up, Saki-nee! You promised that you were always going to be by my side!" _'I... I did, didn't I, Yachiru?'

All of the sudden, voices of Ikkaku, Yumichika, and her subordinates echoed in her head.

_"We believe in you, Sakura-fukitaichō!"_

_"Yeah, Sakura-fukutaich__ō! You're strong!"_

_"You must fight!"_

_"You're the only one we can depend on in the squad, fukutaich__ō!"_

_"Yeah! You are our powerful and beautiful fukutaich__ō!"_

'Thank you, everyone... For believing in me.'

As the blue-haired woman examined her master, and determined that the pink-haired girl was dead, she solemnly turned and began to walk away, but before she could, she suddenly felt a tug from the thread attached to her palm.

_/W-What? You're alive?/_ Shock and relief racked her shaking body, as she turned around to stare at her master who was slowly standing up. She backed away, the moment the pink-haired girl pulled the kama out of her chest as if it was no big deal. _/B-Baka! Don't do that!/_ She said, worriedly, as blood began to soak the woman's Shinigami robe. The pink-haired girl slowly trudged towards her frightened zanpakutō.

_/Stop... Stop it, Sakura... You are only hurting yourself!/_ She continued to walk rearward, as her master persistently made her way towards her.

"Initiate a tremble upon your approach, _Chikyūtoumi_!" The roseate rasped out, and a guandao appeared before her. Reaching out for it, she whispered another incantation, "_Chikyūnouranai _(Earth's Divination)!" With that, she swung her palm across her chest and the blood that seeped through her clothes hardened into earth. Sakura walked in a slow motion towards the woman, whom stood frozen on her spot.

_/Impossible.../ _The blue-haired woman cried lowly, as she fell on her knees, her eyes still glued on her master who came closer and closer, until she was in front of her.

The pink-haired girl fell on her knees before her zanpakutō's spirit form and smiled weakly. "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudō # 61, Rikujōkōrō!" The slim, wide beams of light slammed into the two women's midsection, bringing them together.

_/What... What are you... doing? Are you trying to kill yourself too?/_

To that, Sakura replied simply, "My zanpakutō's pain, is my pain... We are one..."

The blue-haired woman's eyes widened, touched by her words.

"Treasures of a king lost amidst the sea of blood," A cage-like ruby-red beam began to surround the two women, as Sakura began with the hadō incantation, "probed by greedy thieves, for the fulfillment of their own selfish needs—" An orb suddenly began to glow above the women, as it charged and grew bigger with every single one of Sakura's passing words, "—Ye, who inherits the blood of the King, shall reign, and execute those who dares become a hindrance, with this orb emitting the power of your spirit, Hadō # 89, _Ryūketsunouminohōseki _(Jewel of the Bloody Sea)!" The orb that glowed like an aurora borealis, suddenly exploded into a red light, enveloping the two in their own sea of blood.

_/Why... would you... go so far.../_

"To prove you and them wrong..." Sakura replied, before the two women began sinking into the surface of the sea.

_/I see... Do you know my name now...?/_

"Yes... I can't believe that I couldn't even guess it... Just like my own zanpakutō's epithet, 'Chikyūtoumi'. He, Chikyū, is Earth... and you are the Sea. Am I right... Umi?"

_/Hehehe... Call __Chikyū-kun and I_ out proudly, and we will be there to help you, Sakura.../

A smile appeared on her lips, before she answered.

"Will do..."

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor Bleach.  
author: you're beautiful.

_edited: 9 February 2012._


	4. Terrible Truth and Lullaby Lie

Sakura's eyes snapped open, feeling as if she was just pulled out from the depths of an ocean. She felt fresh and new, as she sensed an overwhelming power surging her veins. She felt like she was just rewarded; she felt like she was on top of the world. Sitting up slowly, she looked at her palms, and clenched it tightly. "This feeling..." She muttered, "...is absolutely amazing..."

Realizing that she had just barely gotten out alive from her own mindscape and that she was now in the Human world due to a mission, she abruptly looked about at her surroundings, ignoring the stabbing pain on her neck. Her eyes widened when she saw the destruction before her. Her mouth slowly opened to a gape; her breath caught in her throat. She heard a relieved sigh behind her, and she whipped her head to the direction of the sound, seeing one of the Yonbantai members approaching her.

"Sakura-fukutaichō! Oh, am I glad to see that you're awake!" She screamed, her voice cracking. Sakura noticed that her cheek was tear-strained and her eyes were bloodshot. Has she been crying?

Sakura's eyebrows knitted, as she stared with suspicious eyes at the Yonbantai Shinigami. "What happened during the time I was out? What did I miss? Where are the others? Kenpachi-nii and Yachiru?" She asked the shaking nurse, her voice frantic and almost panicky.

The Squad 4 medic knelt down beside Sakura and gently helped her stand up. The pink-haired girl nodded her thanks, and looked up at the woman, expecting a reply. The medic was nervously looking behind them at the destroyed buildings, biting her lips. She opened her mouth to answer her superior, but closed it again, her lips firm and thin.

That gave Sakura a fright. She grabbed onto the girl's shoulders tightly, and begun to shake her vigorously. The atmosphere around them was suddenly filled with murderous intent when the medic only fell on her knees, covered her face and cried, sobbing uncontrollably. Sakura's head fell limply, and her hair shaded her eyes, making her look ominous.

"Sakura-fukutaichō... The other medics are currently unconscious, along with Ayasegawa-san and Madarame-san. Zaraki-taichō is alive and is fighting both the hollows... B-But, Yachiru-fukutaichō is in a critical state. If we don't immediately take care of her, she will die..." The medic girl breathed out through her sobbing. "It was a frightening sight! I was not aware that Madarame-san had already achieved his bankai state, but when he had summoned his bankai, the dark-haired hollow was able to crush him effortlessly. Even Zaraki-taichō, in his rampage, is having trouble!"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Whipping her head up to the Yonbantai member, she asked her lowly, "Where is my sister...?"

"...She was taken away..."

"_Taken_ away?" Sakura dared the girl to repeat what she had just said.

"Y-Yes, fukutaichō... Those lowly hollows snatched her when they had the opportunity. At this moment, Zaraki-taichō is desperately trying to take her back..." The girl paused, muttering, "Although... for some strange reason, the hollows were quarreling right after that..."

Sakura fought the urge to harshly ask her what _she _was doing to aid, but she shook her head. "Where are those bastards?" She demanded angrily, reaching for her zanpakutō, "Lead the way!"

"H-Hai, Sakura-fukutaichō!" The girl obeyed anxiously.

Turning around to face the south district of Karakura Town, the medic shunpo-ed, the roseate shortly following after her.

As the two quickly disappeared and reappeared from one rooftop to another, Sakura couldn't help but be overwhelmed by a sense of dread and guilt. Gritting her jaws together, Sakura closed her eyes, memories of that time suddenly emerging in her already disarrayed mind.

_"S-Saki-nee...!"_

Her hand subconsciously trailed to her back, feeling the bumpy scar running across it.

Sakura shook head head, trying to bring herself out of such a terrible memory. She couldn't. It was as if the memory was forcing itself to escape the locked compounds that was filled with horrifying recollections in the corner of her mind. To make it worst, the fear of losing her sister only seemed to awaken them, and in the end, Sakura lost the dispute she was having with her head.

_Four Years ago, Rukongai District 68: Ushioabare..._

_Sakura took a glimpse at her brother, her eyes filled with guilt. She has been struck with the fever for a little over a week now, and her brother has been avoiding fights to let her rest peacefully and avoid any unnecessary injuries. She could tell that, even when her brother seemed fine with it, he wasn't. The man has been itching for a fight. He was thirsty for blood, and was impatiently holding in his desire to have an enjoyable brawl with a formidable opponent._

_They have already neglected a few challenges from passing barbarians, and Kenpachi's craving was growing. Sakura didn't want to admit it herself, but she desiderated a long fight to release her anger and bloodlust. Rolling her eyes, she couldn't believe that she was slowly turning out into a female Zaraki Kenpachi Junior. He really was starting to rub off on her. For Soul King's sake, two crazy, barbaric, battle-longing monsters was already one too many._

_"Sakura, are ya sure you're gonna be fine?" Her older brother asked her for the umpteenth time that day. She was currently being carried by him on his back. Sakura glanced at Yachiru who was grumpily walking beside them._

_"Stupid, stupid Saki-nee! Getting sick and taking my spot." The younger pink-haired girl grumbled, a frown evident on her small face._

_Sakura sweat-dropped and replied, __"J-Jeez, n-niisan, how many times d-do I have to tell you that I'm... I'm fine? And, gomen, Yachiru. I promise you when I get better, you could have niisan's back as much as you want!" The younger pink-haired girl harrumphed, but there was a glint in her eyes that said that she was satisfied enough with that._

_Kenpachi omitted the conversation that his two pink-haired companions just had and chose to answer Sakura, "I'm not convinced, ya brat."_

_Sakura rolled her eyes, her voice cracking. "N-No, really! I'm... I'm fine! I-I feel amazing, in fact!"_

_Kenpachi only snorted, looking at his pale sister in the corner of his eyes. "My ass, ya do."_

_"Niisan!" Sakura pouted, punching him solidly on the face. Kenpachi's face faulted, and a small amount of a red substance managed to drop down his nose._

_Kenpachi was amazed. How in the hell did she still have the strength to inflict pain on him when she was in such a terrible state? Shaking his head, he glared ineffectively at the currently feeble sister of his, and murmured, "Okay, okay! But, the moment you're feeling worse, warn me and I'll bring ya somewhere to rest."_

_"G-Gomen, niisan..." Sakura whispered. That punch was uncalled for, she admitted. With a lop-sided smile, she reassured her grumbling brother. "D-Don't worry, niisan. There's no need."_

_Kenpachi sighed, "Yeah, yeah, we'll see."_

_After wandering the district for about half an hour, Sakura noticed that there suddenly a tremor on the ground. Looking up she could see various silhouettes not too far away. Squinting her eyes, Sakura saw a large crowd of men quickly making their way towards them. Sakura's eyes widened and she gaped. "N-Niisan! Do you feel that?" Her grip around her brother loosened, and she fell on the ground voluntarily. Standing up slowly with the support of her brother._

_Yachiru grinned cutely, "Ken-chan, Ken-chan! There are challengers again! Let's play with them!" The younger roseate took advantage of her sister no longer clinging onto her Ken-chan and jumped on his back. Clearly, Yachiru was ecstatic to see that there was finally someone who dared to clash with them._

_Zaraki Kenpachi was past the far side of just pissed. Strangely enough, he also felt thrilled as he stood before enemies who were ready to immerse themselves in a fight with him. The problem was, he didn't know what to do at this point on. His sister was practically hacking, and it could be that her fever has gone worse. But, the bunch of blood-lusty savages presenting themselves were eagerly biding for him to acknowledge them._

_The leader of the pack howled, "Were you the one that mercilessly defeated one of my subordinates?"_

_Zaraki snarled, his reiatsu spiking. The group of men backed down a bit, but stayed nevertheless. "Mercilessly defeated? Even my sickly sister would have been capable of decapitating such a small fry."_

_The leader only twisted his face, affronted. "You'll regret underestimating us! I challenge you!"_

_Sakura saw her brother hesitating, and she couldn't help but laugh rather weakly. She compelled herself into speaking to her brother, "N-N-Niisan... It's alright. You could fight them if you want... I could wait. B-Besides, I enjoy watching your duels, niisan."_

_Kenpachi was skeptical at first, but eventually listened to his imouto, a grateful, shit-eating grin on his bloodthirsty face. Turning his head to the side slightly, he hissed to his other pink-haired comrade who clung onto him securely, "Hold on _really_ tight, Yachiru."_

_"Aye, aye, Ken-chan!" Yachiru giddily complied, securely tightening her grip on Kenpachi's shoulders._

_Sakura worriedly looked on as Kenpachi zapped between the band of barbarians. Her little sister seemed to be having fun, but Sakura felt like something terrible was about to happen. She, without her own awareness, reached out for her own sword, ready to jump in if something were to happen._

_There were a lot of them, and she had to admit, they were quite formidable._

_"Not so shabby, are you?" Zaraki commented. He deflected one of the men's sword with his bare hand and something appeared in his eyes. It was satisfaction. Finally, after patiently waiting for a chance to satisfy his craving for blood, it has come. Kenpachi of Zaraki was excited._

_A grin that sent chills down the challengers' spines appeared on his scarred face, and his vision turned sanguine like the color of blood that spouted out of the injuries he had inflicted on his opponents. He was monstrous, as he mowed down one enemy after another._

_Sakura gasped when Zaraki suddenly beheaded one of the foes relentlessly. At this point, even Yachiru was incredulous and yelped. Her secure grip on Kenpachi's grip loosened, and she fell off, her butt implanting hard on the clamoring ground._

_With every cut that Zaraki had imposed on the shocked challengers, his blood-thirst and desire to kill, grew. Not realizing that his pink-haired comrade had fallen off and was in the middle of the brawl — no,_ massacre_ — he continued to mow one man after another without compassion. As time passed, the men grew less and less. He sensed one survivor, crawling to escape the bloodbath._

_The survivor looked up to see a looming shadow, and screamed, scurrying off towards the direction of the disturbed Yachiru. Kenpachi's sword fell and it met the ground. The impact of his worn down sword created a crater on the ground, and the survivor was lucky to have dodged it._

_Kenpachi looked at the direction the man had darted off to, and readied his sword. He swung, losing the ability to recall who was friend and who was foe. His power aggrandized far beyond the point of his sword, without him noticing, and Sakura watched, fear in her eyes, when the sword struck through the bolting man and reach her little sister._

_An excruciating, pained cry barely escaped Yachiru's lips, before she was pinned down by the amputated man. "S-Saki-nee...!"_

_Kenpachi was still in his crazy state, and with one swing of his sword, he tried to reconnect the sharp edge to the survivor's back._

_Sakura leaped, and willed herself to run as fast as she could. Tears streamed down her eyes, as her legs quickly ran towards her sister, simultaneously watching as the sword slowly plunge. The only thing in her mind was her desperate, clear voice, screaming at herself..._

_'Save Yachiru! Save Yachiru from Kenpachi-niisan!' It was most ironic._

_As the sword got closer to the man and her little sister, she was only a second away..._

_A thud was heard, and Kenpachi's reddened vision returned back to normal. Grunting, he looked around to see the area bathed with blood. 'What happened?' He thought to himself. Looking down, his eyes suddenly dilated when he saw that the two most precious and only people of his life were lying almost lifelessly below him. The only proof he had that they were barely clinging to life were their sporadic breathing, and Sakura hacking blood. Kenpachi, frozen on the spot, watched as Yachiru's lively dark-pink eyes turn dull and the perpetual blush that was always etched on her face disappear. Sakura's already pale face was as white as chalk, and the beating of her chest was almost absent._

_"Y-Yachiru... S-Sakura..." Kenpachi stuttered, as he kneeled near his two sisters. Hastily, he shoved the corpses near them aside and he gathered the two in his strong arms. He thought they were going to die, and he knew that he would never forgive himself if they did. It would be his entire fault. When he was sure that they were in his arms safely, he ran faster than ever, desperately searching for someone who was inclined and skilled enough to revive his precious rosettes._

_It was at that moment when Zaraki Kenpachi realized that, without them, he would have been empty and alone all this time..._

_And that was why he wanted to save them; relieve the two the pain he had caused them._

_Sakura was still barely conscious, when she stared up at the guilty face of her older brother, as he looked forward with saddened and regret-filled eyes._

_"I'm sorry..." He whispered._

Sakura sighed at the memory. She didn't know if it was a good thing or not, but because of the trauma, Yachiru had forgotten about the whole incident. Sakura didn't know whether it was a good thing or not, but at that time, she assumed it was for the better. She didn't feel particularly happy about having to lie to her little sister about the fresh scar on her chest, but she was given no other choice.

It was either: lie to protect her or tell her the truth to scar her further. They weren't very fond of lying, but they did it anyway, saying that the scar was a bandit's doing, not Kenpachi's.

Sakura was broken out of her thoughts when the Yonbantai medic called out to her lowly.

"Sakura-fukutaichō," She looked behind her, slowing down when they reached the corner of one of the homes in Karakura Town, "They're right there!"

Sakura peeked from the corner they were hiding in, and indeed saw her brother facing two men. The two hollows seem to be having a dispute of some sort, as they kept screaming profanities at each other. For some reason, the scene made her feel almost nostalgic. Scenes suddenly played in her mind and she had trouble standing still. Her head was spinning, as pictures of her and two men resembling the fully-transformed hollows sat in what seemed to be like a food stand.

"Sakura-fukutaichō! What do we do now?"

Sakura wanted to hit herself over the head. What was up with those stupid thoughts lately? "We join the fray..." Sakura said, while mentally adding: 'As soon as this stupid headache subsides...'

She nodded, shakily reaching for her zanpakutō.

Sakura shook her head, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "No, you are to retrieve the others together while my brother and I stall them. You are the medic, therefore you are the most important person in this group. You are the only one capable of healing us if anything happens."

The medic girl's lips trembled. She was touched. "Arigatō, Sakura-fukutaichō," She bowed, brimming with newly found confidence, "I will do my best!"

Sakura smiled, before dashing off towards the battlefield. She cursed her older brother for not even thinking of contacting Soul Society to request for a limit release. Taking out the communicator, she hid behind a destroyed home, waiting for someone over the line to reply.

"Hello, Jūnibantai Squad!" She hissed, looking over shoulder to see that her brother was almost going crazy (well crazier than usual) trying to take his sister back from the black-haired hollow. To her surprise, the hollow seemed to only be toying with him. That bastard best not underestimate her older brother.

Glancing at the dark-haired hollow's companion, she was confused when she saw him attacking the former. "What the —!"

A static suddenly resounded in Sakura's ears, and she flinched at its high pitch. _"Ah, Sakura-fukutaichō," _She heard the voice of the Twelfth Division's Third Seat, Akon, _"What can I do for you?"_ Sakura gritted her teeth. The asshole sounded calm like always. How unnerving.

"I request a limit release—_Eek_!" The girl leaped out of the way when the remainder of the house's roof almost toppled over her.

The voice over the communicator suddenly sounded frantic, _"Sakura-fukutaich__ō! What happened?"_

"Nothing too important! Now release the fucking seal, goddammit!" Sakura shrieked desperately.

The pink-haired girl sensed someone quickly making their way towards her. Unsheathing her sword from it scabbard, she spun around and for the first time since she came to the Living World, her zanpakutō met with the hollow's own. She was searching her mind for any possible reasons that could answer her question. 'What is a hollow doing with a zanpakutō?'

Behind her, she felt the presence of her older brother. She turned around, and her eyes widened when she saw the irked look that etched her brother's features. "Niisan? What's wrong?"

Her brother stared at her with his resentful eyes and growled. "I'm gonna kill that bastard, Sakura. He laid a finger on Yachiru. I'm gonna kill him."

Sakura's own eyes darkened, as she snarled at the arrogantly smirking hollow, ignoring the killer migraine that she was having yet again, "Give my sister back, you bastard!"

He tilted his head back and revealed his cynical features. "I see that while Naruto and I were stuck in Hueco Mundo, you were enjoying the life of a Shinigami. You even found a brother and a sister," The man hissed sarcastically, sending shivers down Sakura's spine.

There was something terrifying about this man, but Sakura couldn't put it into words.

"Niisan, I've contacted them and I requested for a limit release," Sakura informed her peeved brother, "It will approximately be released in ten minutes. So for now, we must fight them with everything we've got."

Kenpachi gritted his teeth, nodding slightly. "I'm gonna kill 'em."

Sakura sighed, before she bellowed. "I understand how you feel, niisan, but if you go rampant again, Yachiru will get caught in the fray!"

Kenpachi only harrumphed.

Sakura clicked her tongue. Her brother was acting selfish. She gave a raspy sigh, before she reached for her sword.

Sasuke prompted, "Oh? And, what do you think that your weak little sword will do to me?"

Sakura ignored his provocations. "Niisan! Let's go!"

With that, they ran towards the hollow, murderous intent deep in their orbs.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor Bleach.  
author: you're beautiful.  
notes: Late update... but, hey! It's better than nothing... right? Alright, I'm sorry. I was too busy reading The Hunger Games trilogy. I'm excited! Like, really. Omfg, it's going to be in the movie theaters soon! ... Anyways, sorry about that irrelevant rant. It's just... It's HUNGER GAMES. ZOMG! LOL, anyways... REVIEW?


	5. The Curse of Team 7

"Nothing's getting through to this guy..." The senior pink-haired fukutaichō muttered to her older brother with clear frustration. She was already out of breath, sweating and tired. On the contrary, this damn Arrancar doesn't even seem to be fazed. He was monstrous, just like her brother. And as Sakura looked to her right to take a glimpse of her older brother, she could only think: 'No... This man is even more monstrous.'

It was for only a moment when Sakura dozed off, but that time between was apparently enough for the arrancar to inflict a small gash on her shoulder. Sakura shunpo-ed next to her brother, not bothering to waste anymore of her energy by healing such a small cut.

"Sakura," The pink-haired girl's brother begun, his eyes dangerously staring at the dark-haired man who gazed back, eyes filled with arrogance, "Fight off the other arrancar. This one's mine." For once, Sakura didn't retort. When her brother was serious, she backed off. With that, she took a quick glance at her brother and went off to search for the blonde arrancar.

Sakura's mind was going insane. It was throbbing due to her overwhelming thoughts. The thought of those damned arrancar harming her little sister angered her to no end. If they even dared to touch one hair on her body, she was going to rip them up to shreds. No matter what, Sakura had to protect her little sister. The thought of losing her was unbearable. Thus, Sakura pushed herself and shunpo-ed faster than ever before. The only thing in her mind was her sister.

'I have to save Yachiru...I have to...Even if I die trying.' Her resolve was clear and unwavering. With that goal in mind, she readied herself for the worst.

Looking around her surroundings with grievous emerald orbs, she softly prayed for the innocent human beings that were involved in their battle. She whispered gentle promises about redeeming them by defeating the ones responsible for killing them. Sakura felt infuriated at herself. She was a shinigami, goddamit! She was supposed to protect these helpless humans. But so far, all she's managed to do was let them die.

Stopping at her tracks, she brought her fingers to her ear, and contacted Akon's department. "Akon...If you don't _mind_," she hissed with a tone of exasperation, "the removal of the Yarrow seal would be really nice right now."

A high-pitched static noise resounded in her throbbing ears, and she could only grit her teeth in impatience as she carefully listened to panicked, loud voices in the background. This surprised her, and she narrowed her eyes; a cold knot of fear churning in her stomach. "...Hello? Twelfth Division? What happened?"

Rin Tsubokura met her ears. The young clumsy man seemed to be panting, as he apologized over and over again through the speakers. _"Sakura-san, please give us a few more minutes—in fact, the Yarrow seal will be activated in two minutes!"_ He breathed out shaky sigh. _"We are currently having technicalities."_

"Technicalities?" Sakura asked, baffled.

_"Hai, Kusajishi-fukutaichō."_ Sakura could practically hear the researcher frown. Whatever was happening back in Seretei, it was clearly upsetting the usually aloof members of the Jūnibantai.

"Do explain," Sakura mumbled, as she simultaneously closed her eyes and probed for her sister's energy. When she felt a weak flickering energy northeast from where she was, she widened her eyes and her chest began to heave up and down sporadically in fear. Her sister was dying! Closing her emerald eyes shut, she fought the urge to cry out in anger, and rip off those bastard arrancars for doing the unthinkable. She knew it was almost impossible for someone of her caliber to defeat them, but she wanted vengeance. Taking deep breaths, she waited for Rin to reply.

The nervous boy in the other line stammered, _"Ano...The alarm went off in Sereitei...Kuchiki Hisana has disappeared and Kuchiki-taichō has ordered a search party for his wife. At this point, the reinforcement team seems to be in a state of disarray. The Gotei 13 itself is in a state of panic."_

Sakura heart sank at the news, before she hissed venomously. "Hisana disappeared?"

_"H-Hai..." _The boy stuttered. Just as the boy was about to explain tersely, Sakura could hear another alarm going off.

"What's happening now?" Sakura hissed, scared for her precious friend. She clenched her hands, and dark thoughts enveloped her mind. This day was turning off to be one of the worst.

Rin gulped. _"Uchiha-fukutaichō has reportedly disappeared."_

Sakura could only cuss below her breath. "What the hell is happening in Sereitei?!"

Rin winced at his senior's loud voice. _"A-Ano...The charts cannot track Kuchiki Hisana and Uchiha-fukutaichō's reiatsu in Seretei or anywhere else in the world. In fact, even the shinigami with the strong ability to sense spiritual energy are having trouble finding them. They are either bound by something preventing us to feel their reiatsu or they are de—"_

Sakura roared, "Don't you dare finish that, Rin."

_"I...I apologize, Kusajishi-fukutaichō." _Rin quickly said. There was a long pause, before the Twelfth Division member briefed Sakura. _"Kusajishi-fukutaichō, the seal is gone in... ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one."_

The girl released a breath of relief, before she looked at the Yarrow flower that was on her left breast disappear. The pink-haired girl's eyes were lodged with fierce determination, before she quickly followed after her sister's flickering reiatsu.

'...Please be okay, Yachiru...Hisana...'

* * *

Kenpachi was furious. For once in his life, he couldn't wait until the battle was over. He couldn't anticipate the moment he would slowly rip off the limbs of these bastards. He would be relentless as they begged for mercy. He would disintegrate these bastards for hurting his girls. Cursing, the Eleventh Division captain held onto his singed left elbow. His opponent had summoned black flames and Kenpachi had to admit that he severely underestimated the arrancar. His arm was throbbing and his whole body was going numb.

The arrancar grunted, as he continued to stare at the man before him with disinterest. It seems that their _leader_ had overestimated this man. He was a weakling, if anything. He did not even summon his zanpakutō. Although he was not an Espada, he knew he was as powerful as (or even stronger) than any of the Espadas, post-release of their resurrección. His problem was Aizen Sōsuke. That bastard was a dangerous one—even more dangerous than all Espadas combined. The arrancar knew that the only one who could fight on par with their leader was his blond partner...But the two kept it a secret.

"Zaraki Kenpachi," Sasuke drawled, as he stared at the enraged man before him, "It seems that our usually shrewd leader has made miscalculations. Sōsuke informed Naruto and I that you would be quite a challenge." He frowned. "How wrong he was. I wouldn't need my resurrección to defeat the likes of _you_ and your petty little sisters."

The way Kenpachi's lips twitched into a frown was satisfying. Sasuke kept an amused glint in his eyes, as he stared at how Kenpachi shifted impatiently in his tattered haori.

"I really hate monologues," Kenpachi growled lowly, staring resentfully at the arrancar before him.

Sasuke grunted for the nth time. "As do I," He paused, looking at Kenpachi's worn down sword with keen eyes. Something told him that it was more than what meets the eye. The sword looked so fragile, but Sasuke knew that if Kenpachi had awakened his bankai (much less, shikai), the arrancar would have been blown out of the water. Considering how Sasuke never really was the type to admit things, this was saying something.

Zaraki Kenpachi would be a perilous opponent in the future if he was not terminated at this point.

There was a reason why Sasuke and Naruto were Aizen Sōsuke's best soldiers in his army of Espada. The two's level of intellect was beyond those of any other Espada. Given that Sasuke still remembered remnants of his past life, while Naruto had some of his helpful abilities, they were bound to become important pawns in Aizen Sōsuke's game. While there were ten Espadas, there were only two Geheimnis in the army and those two were Sasuke and Naruto.

"You're annoyin'." Zaraki said blatantly, as he disposed of his captain's haori. No doubt that the captain-commander was going to have his head for carelessly treating the coat like trash. But that was the least of Zaraki's worries.

"Hn." The dark-haired arrancar closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. How ironic it was to be called the annoying one. "It's time..." A malicious smirk graced his handsome features, as he held onto his sword tightly.

Kenpachi could only snort in return. "About goddamn time you do something," He replied sarcastically.

"Don't get too cocky, Zaraki Kenpachi," Sasuke said coolly.

Kenpachi raised a single brow at that. "Cocky, eh?"

"Hn..."

Kenpachi tilted his head to the side, almost as if he was in deep thought. "You really remind me of that bastard captain's subordinate." He rolled his eyes, as he remembered his sisters' actions, "That anoying aloof façade really got my idiot sisters swooning."

Sasuke only listened intently as Kenpachi rambled on about the Kuchiki clan head's vice-captain. '...Itachi...?'

As if Kenpachi read the arrancar's mind, he grumbled, "What was his name again? Itachi? Weasel Uchiwa or something? Who knows? I could really care less about that bastard's minions. I have my own to worry about, after all."

Sasuke visibly stiffened at the sound of that familiar name. "...Itachi? Aniki...?"

Kenpachi noticed his enemy's sudden shift of mood, and looked on questioningly. Shaking his head, he roared at the arrancar. "Well, what are you waiting for, hollow?!"

"You will tell me more about this...Itachi person..." Sasuke demanded, as he sonido-ed closer to Kenpachi and struck. The captain brought out his own sword to lazily dodge the arrancar's strike.

"Oh?"

Sasuke nodded silently, his dark orbs piercing Kenpachi's green ones. "Very well...I understand." He backflipped away landing gracefully on the rubble. "If and when you are defeated, you will give me information about Uchiha Itachi."

Kenpachi grunted in amusement. "Ya talk too much."

Sasuke kept cool, as he observed Kenpachi. The captain was wild with his swings, thus it was unpredictable. Even his sharp eyes could barely follow the arcs. Sasuke hummed internally, as he stared at the grinning Kenpachi. 'Let's test him out once more...'

With that thought, he rushed forward, his uchigatana's fuller shining brightly as the full moon's light kissed it. Its tsuba was circular shaped and was surrounded by symmetrical crescents that intertwined each other as it reached the crossguard's shoulders. It looked strikingly like a biohazard symbol. The hilt was wrapped with white bandages, but the bright red color of the grip that the translucent gauge hid could be seen.

His uchigatana was parried by Kenpachi's twisted sword, causing the arrancar to go on all fours to dodge Kenpachi's strong swing. The captain curled his sword like a key inside its keyhole and belted it towards the impressed arrancar, who looked up at the lowering zanpakutō with raised eyebrows.

The arrancar grunted, as he rolled out of the way before jumping on his feet with grace. Sasuke stared at the crater that Kenpachi's sword made on the ground, and vaguely recalled how a certain roseate was capable of causing craters with her bare hands. Shaking off his distracting thoughts, he proceeded to analyze how Kenpachi held onto his sword with two hands. 'A bisection technique? Interesting...' The arrancar narrowed his eyes, realizing that Kenpachi did not kick him down when he was on all fours. If Kenpachi did think about trapping him with a stomp of his feet, Sasuke would have been caught by the captain's ryōdan and split in half.

Sasuke looked intrigued. Kenpachi has been using his hands more than his legs, and because the taichō did not have a tactical mind, Sasuke escaped his splitting technique unharmed. But then again, because the older looking man did not think about tactics, he was more feral and his movements were erratic.

Sasuke smirked, feeling his zanpakutō's heat rise every time it was parried by Kenpachi's own. The arrancar quickly deflected Kenpachi's rundown sword and the captain grated its rough blades with the arrancar's uchigatana. When Sasuke felt his zanpakutō reach its hottest peak, he took that opportunity to aim a thrust at Kenpachi's chest.

Unfortunately for the arrancar, Kenpachi had already experienced what his zanpakutō, Halcón Cazando, was capable of. So when Sasuke's sword was inches away from reaching Kenpachi's chest, the captain jumped out of the blade's way, watching as the zanpakutō seemingly seethed as it gathered all the heat that was forming on the tsuba and transferred it to the uchigatana's curved edge. The blade almost sounded like a boiling teakettle. At that moment, the blade spontaneously combusted into black flames.

Kenpachi grinned satisfactorily. 'This guy's pretty good...His zanpakutō absorbed my blows and converted it to heat somehow. When the zanpakutō reached its climax, that damned hollow had to release it...Maybe makin' it explode in his face is a good idea.' The captain silently thanked his studious emerald-eyed sister for forcing him to read a book about strategies. If it wasn't for Sakura, he was pretty sure that he would have been struck by that same move twice.

Sasuke caught the smug look that crossed the man's scarred face and suppressed the urge to growl in annoyance. 'A miscalculation...This guy is turning out to be like Naruto after all...Idiotic looking, but smart...'

"You're pretty relaxed for someone who has a dying sister," the arrancar mocked.

Kenpachi turned rigid, as he stared with narrowing eyes at Sasuke. "I dare ya ta repeat that, ya asswipe..." He replied, his voice dangerously low.

Sasuke shivered, not of fear, but excitement. He was on the balls of his feet, before he lunged towards the vexed taichō. "You're..." Sasuke muttered darkly, as he swung his uchigatana in a vertical position. Kenpachi dodged it, his ears twitching when Sasuke's voice reverberated throughout the destroyed market district of Karakura Town. "Pretty..." In order to dodge the captain's next arc, the arrancar jumped up so high that his chest curled around his knees. The dark-haired arrancar quickly swerved his blade towards Kenpachi's face. The captain bent his whole body back to avoid it, before rising up and whirling his zanpakutō vertically with both hands like a baseball bat. The arrancar easily omitted the attack by bending down. "Relaxed..." Sasuke's eyes dilated slightly when realization dawned him. Kenpachi has been evading his uchigatana by _dodging_, and _not_ countering it with his own sword.

'Smart shinigami...' Sasuke thought, as he attempted to hit his opponent's sword. The taichō hastily spun his wrist and the sword avoided Sasuke's uchigatana. Sasuke release his hold on the uchigatana, before he pivoted on the balls of his feet and simultaneously caught the sword's handle with his mouth. That immediately caught the captain offguard and he failed to dodge or even parry the sword. The blade grinded successfully against the shinigami's pelvis. He was pleased when he saw the shinigami bleed through the gash.

Unfortunately for Kenpachi, Sasuke was not finished with his assault. With a muffled voice, Sasuke coldly spoke, "Screech, Halcón Cazando."

* * *

Naruto stared in annoyance at that distant dark pillar of reiatsu that spiked not too far from where he stood. In his arms, the pink-haired girl slept peacefully, which was rather ironic, considering the situation she was in. The blond boy internally apologized inside for having to involve someone so...young. Of course, Naruto knew that her appearance might be of that of a young girl, but her _age_ on the other hand...

Naruto frowned. Soul Society must have gotten really desperate to have deemed this young girl a fukutaichō. She wasn't much of a challenge, but now that he's thinking about it, Yachiru didn't summon her shikai. The blond hummed, eyes filled with keen interest. Whatever it was Aizen Sōsuke was planning, Naruto had to _know_ immediately. If there was anything the happy-go-lucky arrancar did not like, it was when Aizen was planning a coup. Actually, Naruto didn't like Aizen in general. Aizen had declared that their little army was a "family", but Naruto was no idiot (only Sasuke had the right to call him that and _live_ to see the day).

Naruto could recall years ago when Sasuke suddenly appeared before him.

_A lone figure of what looked a white fox stood on its sanguine paws; its cunning, yet beautiful cerulean eyes with red specks watching the bloodied sandy dunes before him with loneliness. 'So, this is called Hueco Mundo...' He said to himself, feeling the gusts of wind that caused the sand to brush against his bone-hard white body._

_"It's just another place filled with solitude..." He whispered sadly to himself, as he closed his eyes shut, trying to shut out nothing and everything at the same time. The ashy color of the sand looked like a canvas that was stained by a clumsy artist's strokes of red paint. Far away, the empty vast land occasionally had white desert plants protruding, and even they were dying._

_"...What is my name...?"_

_"Naruto."_

_The white fox turned on his sanguine paws and stared at the dark figure before him. It has been a while since he's seen someone so...human, for lack of better words. The man had a strange white skull-like mask that covered the left half of his emotionless face. His lean body was filled with battle scars; but the most distinctive were three claw marks that ran from his chest to his waist. It was as if he was ripped apart diagonally by a monster. Strangely enough, it was very peculiar to the white fox._

_"What?" The white fox hissed, as he analyzed the hollow before him._

_"Your name; It's Naruto."_

_The cerulean-eyed fox was quite aware that whoever was standing before him was no pushover, yet something drew the fox towards the scarred hollow, and thus he nodded, "...I see. So, my name is...Naruto?" There was a long, comfortable silence, before Naruto looked at the man, "What is yours?"_

_The man did not reply quickly, as if contemplating whether to give it away or not._

_And he did. "Sasuke."_

_Naruto shook his head, "I see... How did you know my name?"_

_Sasuke stared at him, once again not replying. Contemplating, he stared into his once best friend's eyes, and said the one word that Naruto would have not expected from him in their previous lifetime. _

_"Sorry."_

_Naruto's eyes widened, and he furrowed his blond brows. "What?" was all that he managed to say, shocked. It was as if weight was taken off his shoulders, and he didn't know why._

_"...I don't get you, Sasuke, was it?"_

_Sasuke chuckled hollowly. "Good. Let's keep it that way."_

_Naruto looked down at his bloody paws, and grinned happily, despite appearing rather morbid._

_Finally, he wasn't alone._

_He didn't know much about Sasuke, but that was okay, he thought. Maybe he was being careless to have easily accepted a stranger, but it was a risk he was willing to take._

_Because he wasn't alone anymore..._

"You!" Suddenly to Naruto's surprise, Zaraki Kenpachi's sister appeared, and she radiated malice. Coming from Naruto, it was completely shocking, considering the fact that he was the most malicious being when angered.

"Ah," Naruto bit his lip, as he stared at the girl. She was breath-taking, but Naruto refused to show signs that he thought of her like that otherwise.

"Give me back my sister, you bastard!" The roseate growled, her breath going sporadic. She swung her zanpakuto, and shunpoed behind Naruto. The blond did not seem the least bit surprised, as he simply side stepped her attempt.

"Wait," Naruto pleaded, as he continued to hold the youngest of the siblings in his arms, "I mean no harm! You can have your sister back!"

"How do expect me to trust you?" Sakura hissed, not stopping her attack.

Once again, Naruto merely dodged her vain attack.

"I mean no harm!" He roared, frustrated. He radiated a red aura, which ultimately led Sakura to fall on her knees due to the spiritual pressure. He cautiously walked towards the pink-haired lieutenant, who was as stiff as a pole.

"Don't come any closer!" Sakura's scream echoed throughout the battlefield. _No, you cannot kill me! How do you expect me to save my sister when you kill me? _Sakura hysterically yelled in her head.

Slowly, Naruto brought the younger girl to the ground, before backing away. "There..." He immediately restrained his reiatsu.

Sakura quickly retrieved her sister and searched any injuries on her body. Tears sprung up in her eyes, and she embraced her young sister, "Yachiru, thank goodness... Thank goodness!" She yelled.

As for Naruto, a sudden migraine hit him unexpectedly the moment he saw the older of the two sisters cry. "Haruno Sakura...? Who is that?" He wandered aloud. Sakura whipped her head towards his direction, and their eyes met.

Cerulean met emerald, and they were pulled towards a forgotten memory.

_The soothing smell of petrichor wafted in the air, as the stormy skies began to retreat. Halos of blinding light seeped through the withdrawing dark nimbus clouds, coming into contact with six hapless figures on the recent battlefield surrounded by summoned trees and artificial mountain vistas. The alleviating smell of after shower and the disgusting rustic scent of blood mixed together, and this only seemed to stiffen the war soldiers who stared at the pitiable view before them. The silence was almost sardonically deafening, and the urges to speak consoling words were restrained._

_They say that during war, there was no time to grieve for fallen comrades. There was only one option, and that was to fight relentlessly, without getting caught up in the death of the people around you. War made you heartless; it turned you into killing machines. In order to finally live in peace, there must be war. It was an inevitable and satirical way of thinking, especially to shinobi who were forced to join warfare when an ultimatum given by a powerful enemy was refused._

_Hatred and vengeance, a certain boy always preached, gave birth to war. The cycle of hatred, he always called it. Hatred was a negative energy that can alter your way of thinking; it has the capability to consume even the greatest person if he had a weak mentality. Hatred and vengeance was the cause of bloodshed, and bloodshed itself was the cause of hatred and vengeance. They circled one another like a never-ending cycle._

_Thus, red was the recurring color that ninja saw on a daily basis. It was the color of blood—the constant reminder for eventual murderers like ninjas that the life of their prey has been ended. It was a sign associated with both good and bad. Red was the color of fire, thus it was also the color that defined life._

What does pink represent?—

_The fair hand that gripped his was slowly weakening. "Hey," the young man croaked out, his fist tightening around hers, "Sakura-chan...R-Remember that dream we swore we'd make reality?" His heart ached as he stared at her wavering smile. This scene looked all too familiar. This feeling was familiar and he loathed it. Ignoring the pained gurgles Tobi—the man who caused this all—emitted a few feet away from them, the blond figure gently laid the broken body of the woman he loved on his lap, caressing her cheeks thereafter._

_The beautiful, cunning emerald eyes of the girl he loved were slowly losing its life, and the blond boy could only stare at it with his grievous azure orbs. How she managed to look breathless to him even on her deathbed was beyond him._

_The girl, Sakura, heaved a wavering sigh, as she stared lifelessly and almost blindly at the boy above her. Her stare seemed to pass through him, "Sasu…Sasuke-kun…?"_

_The blond's heart ached at the name she just uttered. The form beside him twitched at the sound of his own name. His cerulean-blue eyes caught a glimpse of the dark-haired boy, who only furrowed his eyebrows, as he looked away, mixed emotions clearly swimming in his dark eyes._

_"Sasuke," the blond boy whispered loud enough for him to hear. The boy adjacent to him straightened almost instinctively at the sound of his name, and the blond took that as a sign to go on, "She's…She's calling out to you, Sasuke." As always… He trailed off darkly._

_The dying girl in his arms seemed to have sensed his sudden discomfort and shifted shakily. She recognized his voice and it was his name, in turn, that escaped her profusely bleeding throat, "Na…ru…t-to…?" She almost sounded disappointed to him, and his heart could only sink lower._

_"Sakura-chan…Sasuke finally changed. He's returning to us, and I didn't have to kick his butt," The blond, Naruto, exclaimed with feigned excitement, "Our dreams are finally coming true! Teme, you, Kakashi-sensei…We'll be together again! So, please…Please stay a-alive…"_

_Sakura could only smile, before proceeding to drown in her own blood that was starting to accumulate in her throat. The metallic flavor on her tongue was the only thing she could taste at that instant, as she fought to stay alive, even if it's only just for a little while longer. She wanted to savor the moment when Team Seven was finally back together._

_She wanted to be with her family at the very end._

_"Baka," Sakura coughed out, feeling woozy and fighting the urge to vomit more of her blood, "S-Sasuke-kun…Kakashi-sensei?"_

_The latter's ears perked up as he stared at his only female student from afar. His 'eternal' rival, who lay unconscious and thankfully alive beside him, exerted himself by using his famed jutsu, Hachimon, all the way. He closed his eye, his body going numb. Kakashi felt a knot of cold fear in his stomach, and he could only look helplessly at his roseate student, choosing to listen to her at his place besides Gai._

_"T-Thank you…f-for…l-loving me," She stammered, her eyes dilating at the unbearable pain her body was going through. The rhythm of her chest became sporadic, "R-Really…. Naruto, t-thank y-you for k-keeping your…your p-promise. Y-You…I'm s-sorry f-for b-being a b-burden after a-all t-this t-time. D-Do m-me a f-favor, o-okay…?" She paused, waiting for his response._

_"W-What is it, Sakura-chan?" He murmured, restraining himself from crying._

_"B-Become a g-great Hokage…"_

_Naruto's eyes widened at that, and he nodded, of course._

_"And, K-Kakashi-sensei, y-you r-really ought t-to s-stop r-reading t-those p-perverted b-books a-and f-find a wife!" She managed to giggle, and Naruto decided that her laugh was the most beautiful thing he's ever heard._

_Team Seven's sensei could only stammer jokingly, "I-I m-make no…no promises, S-Sakura…"_

_Sakura giggled at her sensei, before she went completely silent. Her face twisted in a way that clearly meant she was thinking about what to say to the last person in her original team. Even if she knew that he probably hated her, she still loved him unconditionally, and this saddened her greatly._

_"And…Sasuke-kun," She whispered softly, pausing to exhale. "Thank you…for the memories."_

_Naruto caught how Sasuke's shoulders relaxed, even if it was only instantaneous, before his shoulders hunched back down as if the weight of the world was dropped on him without a warning._

_The dark-haired Uchiha looked away, before he muttered, "…Annoying." No one can miss the pain that was laced in his voice._

_"Sasuke—" Naruto hissed, but he was restrained by the cold fragile hand that touched his own. "—But Sakura-chan, he—!" His voice slowed down when he felt the body of his teammate turn rigid. "Sa-Sakura-chan?" He murmured, lips quavering and eyes turning glassy. The lack of reply and movement made him hysterical as he promptly yet gently laid her back on the flat ground that was puddled by her blood. His instinct immediately told him to heal her, even if he was not a healer._

_His warm chakra glowed over the huge gash on her abdomen, and he was shocked that none of her innards seeped through it. Shaking his head and forcing himself to concentrate, he pushed a generous amount of chakra on her._

_It was not working._

—Pink was the color of love. It was the epitome of Sakura-chan.

_Cussing desperately, a dark thought occurred to him. She's dead…_

_"Impossible," He told himself stubbornly, shaking off the possibility. He didn't bother checking her pulse or anything. He didn't want to break it to himself that the woman he loved was gone forever. To him, it was almost blasphemous._

_The healing procedure failed and all it managed to do was cause the cut to scab, not resuscitate her. He halted, as he skimmed his mind for any possible way to revive her._

_Chiyo-baachan…! His mind screamed out. The memory of her giving up her life energy to revive Gaara came to. He recalled how he used her life force as an intermediary, and he hastily thought that that was the only way._

_Unfortunately, his chakra and life force was almost depleted completely._

_No, He screamed at himself, you have chakra from Kurama…!_

_The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox jumped at his thought, and he snarled mentally, **WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? IT WILL NOT WORK! THAT ATTEMPT IS VAIN! WHAT'S DONE IS DONE! SHE IS DEAD! ACCEPT THAT EVEN IF IT HURTS! **_

_The medium of the kitsune chose to ignore his tenant, and his dissipating humming blue chakra turned blood-red. Although Kurama's energy turned from cynical to warm, the pink-haired girl's body seemed to reject it._

_**Her body,** Kurama explained briefly, **cannot accept my energy. Her body will only continue to break if you do this… **Yet, his explanation fell on deaf ears, as the blond continued to push the chakra into her._

_"Stop it, you idiot!" Naruto's dark-haired friend, Sasuke, bellowed. Even if he didn't show it, he was devastated inside, for he lost someone special to him yet again._

_Naruto only shoved the last Uchiha aside, forcing Kurama's life energy onto Sakura's immobile body. His eyes flickered from his warm blue eyes to demonic slitted sanguine orbs, as Kurama desperately tried to shut the gates that allowed the blond to take chakra from him. His attempts were vain, for he was only the tenant and Naruto was the landlord, and in return, he had to pay with his chakra._

_The blond boy fell back, his eyes filled with horror, when Sakura's body began contorting. It was as if an unknown force was entering the girl's body._

_Sasuke fell beside the pink-haired girl as he stared at her twist and turn. His dark-eyes widened when he noticed her chest heave frequently. "W-What…?"_

_"She's…breathing…!" Naruto shouted, hope evident in his voice, as he continued to push the dumb-struck Kurama's chakra into her. Suddenly, the blond felt another pair of hands levitating above his own, and before he could wander out loud, Sasuke shut him up._

_"Dobe, just shut up and concentrate." Sasuke's hands began to glow warmly, and the sound of its humming began to synchronize with the sound of Naruto's own._

_Every once in a while, Naruto would sneak a glance at the Uchiha, and smile as if he was glad that Sasuke was finally showing signs that he actually cared._

_"…Teme," Naruto mumbled, while he synonymously stared at the pink-haired girl's cheeks. They were starting to have some color back to them, and Naruto's troubled heart was calming. He looked up at Sasuke who was patiently awaiting his next words, "when Sakura-chan wakes up, you really should be more open about how you feel. It would mean a lot to her…"_

_Naruto felt the sudden fluctuate of Sasuke's chakra, and he took that as a refusal. Sighing, he shook his head, "You'll regret it someday…"_

_Sasuke only grunted, and Naruto decided that there was no point in convincing him to change for Sakura. Focusing on the reincarnation technique, he hoped that Sakura would open her eyes._

_And, she did._

* * *

_After all those times that Tobi has been prancing around claiming himself to be a 'good boy', and pretending to be a carefree—or even stupid to his former partners in their little group of missing nins—he finally unmasked himself both literally and figuratively._

_Tobi has never intended to reveal his identity, preferring to keep it unknown until he finally completed his goal of global domination. But just because he was a formidable opponent, it did not mean that he was not invulnerable._

_Hatake Kakashi was to blame for managing to figure out the secret behind his Sharingan. Sharing the same dimension for their technique Kamui, it didn't take the Copy Nin long to realize how to defeat him._

_Or even realize who he was._

_And because of that, Tobi cursed at himself for not eliminating the stupid jonin earlier on. He should have known that Kakashi would have caught on. He underestimated the man._

_Due to his miscalculations, he was where he was at the moment—lying on the ground limply and on the verge of dying, surrounded by his own blood. His mask laid shattered an arm's length away and he had no strength left to even reach for it._

_Damn that Kakashi._

_His throat was ripped off by the stupid Jinchuriki and he could only snarl when he felt the boy's energy fluctuate. It was soon followed by Sasuke's own._

_A dark chuckle escaped him. At the very least, he showed them true pain. Killing that pink-haired girl was like revenge to him._

_Much to his surprise, he suddenly felt the girl's chakra sway._

_No, He screamed to himself, incredulous of the situation, this is impossible. He killed her. He felt the blood that leaked through the girl's abdomen and chest when he ripped his hand through her. He saw her eyes lose the life in them, and the color on her cheeks turn pale._

_Uchiha Obito was not to be taken lightly._

_With that thought, he activated the Mangekyō Sharingan and called upon Yasaka Magatama._

* * *

_Kakashi felt the sudden spike of chakra. Looking at his students, he stared with horror-stricken eyes when what appeared to be a three-tomoed projectile shot towards his three prized students._

_"Shit," He muttered. He was going to exert his body, and it was possible that he would die, but he did not care. These were his subordinates, and he would protect them with his life. It was the least he could do for his precious people._

_"Kamui," with this cry, his widened eyes focused on the shooting projectile. He fell on his knees, staring with impatient eyes at the disappearing debris._

_The results were terrifying._

_Suddenly, the Yasaka Magatama exploded in a blinding light and engulfed his shocked subordinates._

_"Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke…!" Were his last words._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_"Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito have been killed, yet I don't have the energy to feel triumphant...In fact, it feels like I've just lost a great battle."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_"Gomen, Naruto...But, Kakashi-sensei is dead..."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_"Neji...Hinata-chan...Kiba...Ino...Chouji...Shikamaru...Shino...Tenten...Lee...I'm sorry. I couldn't save you all..."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_ "Tsunade-sama's successor is you. Do you accept the position of Hokag__—?_"

_"No. I am not fit to become Hokage."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Naruto stared blankly. "Sasuke..."_

_"Shut up! Itachi's eyes...They're...Why?! WHY?!"_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_She laughed bitterly as she stared down at her own body that lay peacefully on a bloody field of cosmos. A strange chain was attached to her chest, and when she looked close enough, she noticed that it was eating itself. However, she didn't really give a damn—her own thoughts were keeping her busy._

_"They killed me," She chuckled darkly, toying with the chain on her chest, as she spoke between laughs, "they intended to kill each other off in this stupid, horribly cruel world, but instead they killed me!" She wanted to scream, but she couldn't find the strength to do so. That strange chain was already more than halfway to her chest and it somehow gave her a killer migraine. She stood up and a cracked smile graced her lips, as she swayed her way towards some foliage that was painted with dried blood―her dried blood! She laughed weakly. She was becoming insane—as if being pathetic and weak wasn't a burden in and of itself._

_She looked down at her chest and noticed that the chain was only two inches way from eating her heart out already. She looked around warily, searching for some sort of weapon, so that she could just end her suffering already. She noticed a bloody kunai lying on the ground and she crawled towards it. She tried to grab it, but to no avail. She just sighed and dropped on the ground with a dull thud._

_A quiet growl escaped her mouth as she slowly suffocated—the chain simultaneously shortened. "Damn it!" She managed to whisper out, as she closed her eyes. She saw black, and darkness. Maybe, this was how it was going to be like in the afterlife; another damn life of continuous pain and inevitable sorrow. If it's going to be like that, then why do we live in the first place? She suddenly snapped her eyes open and she shouted forcefully, her voice cracking up as tears flowed than her cheeks, "Why?! Why do I have to go through life like it's hell instead?!"_

_"Do not worry..." Sakura quickly looked up and she gaped._

_"I-Itachi..?!"_

_"The era of Shinobi has come to an end. This hell on earth has dissipated." The Uchiha spoke softly._

_"What...What are you?"_

_"There will no longer be anymore suffering..." Strangely enough, it felt like Itachi was consoling her._

_He slowly brought the hilt of his sword towards her forehead, and she could only close her eyes._

_"Thank goodness..." Tears trailed down her cheeks, as she disappeared, following a white light and a black butterfly._

* * *

"...Unfortunately, your mission isn't quite over yet." Uchiha Itachi whispered, as he stared at the full moon. He looked down at the immobile body before him, before disappearing in a flash.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor Bleach.  
author: you're beautiful.  
notes: At this point, I am starting to write this story only when I have time and when I actually want to. It is no longer a top priority of mines because I have started to write my own original plot. Additionally, my high school career and personal life isn't looking so good, so _RD_ will rarely be updated. By the time I even do finish this story, Bleach and Naruto would be over, so I might even just put this on Permanent Hiatus. I'm not sure on my decision yet, so anticipate it, I guess. Also, if you are confused by the flashbacks, I'll explain it thoroughly.

- Uchiha Obito killed Sakura, and Naruto, with the help of Sasuke, managed to kill him and Madara. Fortunately, Naruto and Sasuke resuscitated her. It sounds impossible, but it is Naruto, so...let's assume it is possible. Heh.

- Obitio's last mission before dying was to kill Kakashi's precious people, and that is why he attacked them with his jutsu.

- Kakashi died due to exertion. Fortunately, he saved his students.

- Sasuke became blind, for the jutsu had struck his eyes. Naruto, in his despair and loss of his precious people, even declined the position of Hokage, because he believed that if he was incapable of protecting his loved ones, he was incapable of protecting a whole village.

- Sasuke and Naruto, in their anger, have a battle, which killed Sakura (who tried to interfere).

- Sasuke and Naruto succumbed to their wounds.

- Itachi was the one who sent Sakura to the 'afterworld'.


End file.
